http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/news/state/16040745.htm

Posted on Fri, Nov. 17, 2006

Border marijuana busts increasing, some blame heavy summer rain

ALICIA A. CALDWELL
Associated Press

EL PASO, Texas - After seizing nearly three tons of marijuana in less than two weeks, a U.S Border Patrol official here says this may be a sign of a successful growing season that was helped by unusually heavy summer rain fall.

"Because of the heavy rains and favorable growing conditions we anticipate this will be one of many large marijuana loads to be seized along the border," Border Patrol spokesman Doug Mosier said of a recent 2,176-pound bust.

Agents seized the marijuana Thursday afternoon after following a pickup truck, the bed of which was covered with a camper shell, that an anonymous tipster said was loaded with marijuana. The driver of the mud- and dust-covered truck ditched the truck in Fabens and fled on foot.

A similar bust occurred Nov. 8 when agents chased another pickup truck, which also had a camper shell, into the Rio Grande near Fort Hancock. The driver of that truck fled on foot when the vehicle got stuck in thick mud in the shallow river.

Border Patrol agents, who crossed about 25 feet into Mexico chasing the suspect, seized about 300 pounds of high-grade marijuana with a street value of about $32,000 a pound. Historically, the homegrown drug is sold for about $800 a pound.

On Nov. 6, agents seized about 3,500 pounds of marijuana from two vehicles east of Fort Hancock. The drivers of both of those vehicles also abandoned their cars and the drug loads after being chased by Border Patrol agents.

Mosier said the trio of seizures mark a significant rise in marijuana trafficking cases so far this fiscal year, which started Oct. 1.

"Large loads are becoming more prevalent, since the fall season (started)," Mosier said. And it isn't likely to end any time soon, as the marijuana harvesting season is far from over, he said.

Nationally, marijuana seizures are up about 15 percent, from about 155,000 pounds to 177,500 pounds. Mario Martinez, a Border Patrol spokesman in Washington, D.C., said the El Paso Sector, which covers the two most western Texas counties and all of New Mexico, is second in the nation for marijuana seizures so far this fiscal year.

Martinez said he was unsure if this year's summer rains has had an impact on the marijuana crop in the rest of the country.