Pubdate: Sat, 03 Mar 2001 Source: San Antonio Express-News (TX) Copyright: 2001 San Antonio Express-News Contact: 400 3rd St., San Antonio, TX 78287-2171 Fax: 210-250-3105 Website: http://www.mysanantonio.com/expressnews/ Forum: http://data.express-news.net:2080/eshare/server?action=4 Author: Ihosvani Rodriguez SMITH TO TARGET DRUG TRAFFICKING A key congressional official on crime issues said Friday he would make fighting the increasing levels of drug trafficking in South Texas his top priority for this year. In his first public appearance as chairman of the House Subcommittee on Crime, U.S. Rep. Lamar Smith, R-San Antonio, said drug trafficking is at an all-time high. He plans to meet with law enforcement officials in the next several months to come up with his anti-crime agenda. "Quite frankly, it's worse than anyone can imagine," Smith said. "As far as drug trafficking is concerned, South Texas has become the Miami of the 1980s." Smith said he was alarmed after meeting for several hours on Friday with members of the South Texas High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force. According to task force officials, about 62 percent of all U.S. drug seizures occurred in South Texas last year. The task force has also spotted a spike in drug use by children ages 12 and under, said task force director Vernon Parker. "We keep hearing how crime levels have dropped all over the country," Parker said. "But at the same time, the only thing that has increased significantly is drug crimes and drug trafficking." The task force is made up of representatives from South Texas law enforcement agencies of all levels, including the San Antonio Police Department, U.S. Border Patrol and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. Officials at the meeting attributed South Texas' boost in drug-related crimes to an increasing volume of narcotics coming from south of the border. Sgt. Jim Barbe, the SAPD representative with the task force, said local authorities have seen an increase in smuggling activity during the past couple of years. "You are getting all these trucks (containing drugs) coming through here and heading up north," Barbe said. "Something always falls from those trucks." Officials at the meeting cited the need for more law enforcement resources along the border and tougher penalties for drug offenders. Smith said increased truck traffic between Mexico and the United States because of the North American Free Trade Agreement has contributed to the higher availability of drugs. While Smith did not spell out specific strategies he plans to adopt, he said more rehabilitation resources for individual drug users should accompany stiffer penalties. Smith, however, said he didn't know exactly what balance should be struck on funding enforcement and rehabilitation. The congressman, who was appointed to head the subcommittee in January, said he hopes to finish his fact-finding meetings and start holding hearings in March. - --- MAP posted-by: Kirk Bauer