Pubdate: Wed, 24 Feb 1999 Source: San Francisco Examiner (CA) Copyright: 1999 San Francisco Examiner Contact: http://www.examiner.com/ Forum: http://examiner.com/cgi-bin/WebX Author: Judy Holland, EXAMINER WASHINGTON BUREAU SENATE ANALYZES MEXICO DRUG-FIGHTING ROLE Hearings to start on recertifying country as a U.S. ally in anti-narcotics efforts WASHINGTON - As the deadline nears for the Clinton administration's decision on recertifying Mexico as a drug-fighting ally, the Senate wants to know how Mexico is diligently helping the U.S. combat narcotics. The chairman of the Senate's Narcotics Control Caucus, Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, said many members of Congress were disappointed with Mexico's drug-control efforts. Grassley was to preside Wednesday over hearings that examine Mexico's efforts to combat drug trafficking. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., a past critic of Mexico's drug-control efforts, said she would wait until after the hearing to decide whether to try to block recertification. "The top levels of the Mexican government are trying" to stem drug trafficking through more infrastructure and technology, Feinstein said. On the other hand, "indications of money laundering, and a lack of arrests and drug seizures, don't look good," she said in an interview. "The cartels are flourishing - and that's of deep concern." Scheduled to testify were U.S. Customs Service Commissioner Raymond Kelley; Adm. James Loy, commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard; Rand Beers, who heads the Bureau of International Narcotics at the State Department; and Thomas Constantine, administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration. Grassley said he wanted the hearing "to send a signal that we aren't totally satisfied." The administration has until Monday to decide whether to certify to Congress that Mexico had fully cooperated in anti-drug efforts. Failure to win certification could require a cutoff of U.S. aid and a U.S. vote against World Bank loans to the offending countries. The administration also could choose a middle course, deciding to decertify a country but waive the sanctions. President Clinton suggested last week when he met with Mexican President Ernesto Zedillo that he would recertify Mexico as a committed ally in the fight against drugs. Congress then has 30 days to vote to overturn a presidential decision on certification. Critics have complained that Mexico seized less heroin and cocaine last year than in previous years. They also cite declines in the number of drug seizures, arrests and investigations in Mexico last year. There also have been concerns about widespread corruption in Mexican law enforcement. It is estimated that about 400 tons of cocaine cross the 2,000-mile-long U.S.-Mexican border each year. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, who has also criticized Mexican anti-drug efforts in the past, said she "has concern about the certification process." - --- MAP posted-by: Don Beck