Early success on border cited
U.S. agents seizing thousands of guns, millions in cash
By STEWART M. POWELL WASHINGTON BUREAU
June 15, 2009, 10:34PM

WASHINGTON — Homeland security chief Janet Napolitano is claiming early success for the Obama administration’s border crackdown on southbound smuggling of firearms and drug proceeds to Mexican drug cartels, citing a threefold increase in weapons’ seizures and a twofold increase in bulk cash seizures.

The secretary of homeland security produced the score card three months into the administration’s surge of at least 360 additional federal law enforcement personnel to the southwest border with Mexico. They are tasked with choking off cartels’ access to the guns and cash that have contributed to the gangland warfare that has claimed thousands of lives in Mexico since late 2006.

Napolitano described the gains as she signed a deal with Mexican Finance Minister Agustin Carstens to deepen U.S.-Mexican cooperation on customs inspections even more. “As we bolster our efforts at the border, we are achieving significant results,â€