Pubdate: Sat, 31 Mar 2001
Source: Fresno Bee, The (CA)
Copyright: 2001 The Fresno Bee
Contact:  http://www.fresnobee.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/161
Author: Michael Doyle, Bee Washington Bureau

FBI METH AGENTS STAY IN VALLEY

They Will Not Be Reassigned From Fresno, Modesto And Bakersfield.

WASHINGTON -- Sacramento-based FBI officials have assured Congress they 
have no intention of cutting the bureau's anti-methamphetamine campaign in 
the San Joaquin Valley.

That means the bureau's five special agents assigned to the High Intensity 
Drug Trafficking Area program will remain at their posts in Modesto, Fresno 
and Bakersfield.

"We constantly reassess our assignments, but we don't have any plans a to 
reduce our commitment to HIDTA," FBI spokesman Nick Rossi said Friday.

A similar message was conveyed privately this week in a conversation 
between Rep. Gary Condit, D- Ceres, and the acting special agent in charge 
of the Sacramento office.

Condit called the newly assigned agent, Richard Baker, following a report 
in The Bee that consideration was being given to reassigning some of the 
Valley's agents focusing on fighting meth. In a subsequent letter sent 
Tuesday, Condit sought to lock in the commitment he received from Baker.

"I hope you understand that your statement that such a transfer was never 
contemplated or under consideration is very much appreciated," Condit 
wrote. If anything, Condit added, "the number and amount of federal 
resources and manpower should be dramatically increased."

Thursday, though advised of Baker's assurances, Rep. Cal Dooley, D-Hanford, 
and several House colleagues, along with Democratic Sens. Dianne Feinstein 
and Barbara Boxer, wrote their own letter to FBI Director Louis Freeh 
urging that the bureau's anti-meth commitment remain intact.

Dooley's press secretary, Adam Kovacevich, said "we were still concerned" 
that the possibility of reassignments hadn't been definitively ruled out 
and that "we wanted to make clear" congressional interest in keeping agents 
at their posts.

The FBI still was drafting its formal response to the joint congressional 
letter Friday. The apparently resolved staffing question, though, still 
leaves open other meth matters.

HIDTA received $1.5 million in federal funds last year to help coordinate 
anti-meth efforts in a nine-county region. For next fiscal year, California 
lawmakers are asking for $5 million to aid the task force that's been 
credited with taking down at least 56 meth labs and 221 suspects.

The Bush administration's budget outline proposes adding $20 million to 
help clean up meth laboratory sites nationwide, and another $28 million to 
help law enforcement officials target meth.

Though 90% of the nation's meth production is thought to come from 
California, the precise division and final amount of federal funding has 
yet to be decided.
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MAP posted-by: Jo-D