Source: Dallas Morning News Contact: http://www.dallasnews.com/ Pubdate: 1 Aug 1998 Author: David LaGesse / The Dallas Morning News TEXAS-BASED BORDER CZAR IS PROPOSED Plan Targets Illegal Drugs, Undocumented Immigrants WASHINGTON - Drug czar Barry McCaffrey is proposing a new coordinator for federal units trying to stem the flow of illegal drugs and undocumented immigrants crossing the border from Mexico. Essentially a Southwest border czar, the new presidential appointee would be based in El Paso and consolidate some smaller agencies already there. The proposal would vastly expand previous efforts to improve coordination between the Customs Service, the Border Patrol and other federal police forces. "The American people deserve a more coherent, better-orchestrated effort on the Southwest border," he said in an interview. "We need a border coordinator in El Paso." Mr. McCaffrey said the concept is key to bringing control to the border with Mexico, where illicit trafficking has been a growing problem. Beginning this month, Mr. McCaffrey will campaign to enlist support from other agencies and border-state leaders. He will make his case in a speech planned for San Diego next week and during a Texas visit later this month. Mr. McCaffrey said he hopes Mr. Clinton will approve a plan this fall and send it to Congress next year. Mr. McCaffrey acknowledged he'll have to overcome skepticism from agents and supervisors who fear a loss of autonomy. "The new guy should not be in command of all federal agencies, but should coordinate how their policies and budget work together," said Mr. McCaffrey, director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy. Critics have said problems are legion among the myriad of enforcement agencies that operate along the border. Earlier, less-ambitious proposals to improve coordination have surfaced, but cooperation largely depends on informal teamwork. Congress and the administration increasingly target the Southwest border, which analysts say is the route for most of the cocaine smuggled into the United States and about half of its undocumented workers. "There's a tremendous amount of frustration in Congress about the impact of drug trafficking on America's communities," said Rep. Sylvestre Reyes, D-El Paso. "Politically, the time is right for an idea like this." The rise in trafficking already forces them to work together more, border agents say. "I've met with my counterparts more often the past eight months than I did in all of several years before," said David Higgerson, customs port director in Pharr. "If we don't work together, we figure somebody's going to make us one agency," he said. Aides to Mr. McCaffrey said he doesn't want to merge the larger enforcement agencies. But somebody must at least be in charge at the ports of entry - the staffed highway and bridge crossings - where agents from four or more federal agencies are working, said Mr. McCaffrey. "There must be a federal coordinator at each port of entry," he said. "You can't have 300 or 400 people working seven days a week, 24 hours a day . . unless somebody's in charge." He wants customs to take charge of the ports of entry and the Immigration and Naturalization Service supervising the vast border between the ports. But his office has developed few details. Aides say talks among agency heads will develop a proposal for President Clinton. Like his proposed border czar, Mr. McCaffrey carries no direct authority over the budgets of agencies involved in the drug fight. But he has persuaded the Pentagon to change its spending plans, and he recently criticized Treasury officials for not warning Mexico of a money-laundering investigation there. He also shepherded a $2 billion, five-year anti-drug media campaign through the administration and Congress. Republicans have remained critical of the administration's counter-drug efforts, saying Mr. McCaffrey's agency and others have failed to stem America's drug use. More limited efforts in the past included a borde upervisor appointed by Attorney General Janet Reno in San Diego, who focused on problems at the border there. No senior official has tried to tackle the entire border and all federal agencies, Mr. Reyes said. "The problem has been that nobody of McCaffrey's stature has been committed to this idea." Mr. McCaffrey recently predicted the federal government could largely close the Southwest border to drug traffickers in five years. Aides say he developed the idea of a border coordinator over the past two years as Congress and the administration poured resources into the region. The added resources can't work without better coordination and intelligence, Mr. McCaffrey said. The new border coordinator could take control of the counter-drug, interagency El Paso Intelligence Center as well as Joint Task Force 6, which coordinates the military's anti-trafficking missions. Aides to Mr. McCaffrey said they hope a new border coordinator also could improve legal crossings at the border. Truck drivers and other frequent crossers often complain of poor coordination among the many inspection agencies. Government auditors also have criticized agencies for not cooperating better at the border. Customs and immigration offices, for example, have duplicated administrative overhead, sometimes sabotaged each others' inspections and slowed traffic by not coordinating their staffing, according to studies by the General Accounting Office, the auditing arm of Congress. - --- Checked-by: Mike Gogulski