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ED158911 - Poverty in the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas: Historical and Contemporary Dimensions.

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ERIC #: ED158911
Title: Poverty in the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas: Historical and Contemporary Dimensions.
Authors: Miller, Michael V.;Â*Maril, Robert Lee
Descriptors: Academic Achievement;Â*Area Studies;Â*Cultural Influences;Â*Disadvantaged Environment;Â*Economic Factors;Â*Economic Research;Â*Economics;Â*Employment Patterns;Â*Low Income Counties;Â*Mexican Americans;Â*Migration Patterns;Â*Poverty;Â*Poverty Areas;Â*Quality of Life;Â*Regional Characteristics;Â*Residential Patterns;Â*Social Indicators;Â*Socioeconomic Influences;Â*State of the Art Reviews
Source: N/A
Peer-Reviewed: N/A
Publisher: N/A
Publication Date: 1978-08-00
Pages: 90
Pub Types: Reports - Research
Abstract: Relative to other urbanized areas, the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas consistently ranks at the bottom in regard to almost every objective indicator of socioeconomic welfare: per capita income, educational attainment, employment, and health and housing conditions. The 1970 census discovered that approximately one-half of its population, comprised primarily of Mexican Americans, fell below government designated poverty thresholds. Based on a multidimensional approach, including assessment of the region and population in dynamic and longitudinal terms rather than as static entities, this paper provides a broad overview of the region's poverty through the synthesis of existing literature and data. The paper provides a brief sketch of the Valley; addresses the nature and extent of real poverty (the poverty status accorded on the basis of income below government established criteria) in the region by reference to data on income, education, employment, housing and health; addresses the question of regulated poverty (the differential distribution of real poverty across ethnic or racial groups) via a historical discussion of the region as an ethnically stratified social system; and, stimulated by the relative poverty concept (calls attention to cultural definitions and individual subjective evaluations of poverty status), establishes the hypothesis that the region may be sociologically approached as a "staging area", characterized by five on-going and interrelated mobility patterns. (NQ)
Abstractor: N/A
Reference Count: 0
Note: Paper presented at the annual meetings of the Rural Sociological Society (San Francisco, California, August, 197
Identifiers: Rio Grande Valley; Texas
Record Type: Non-Journal
Level: 1 - Available on microfiche
Institutions: Texas A and M Univ., College Station. Texas Agricultural Experiment Station.
Sponsors: Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC.
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
Audiences: N/A
Languages: English
Education Level: N/A

http://www.coserve.org/disc/lmi/section_1/section1.html

SECTION 1: PROFILE OF THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY


The geographic area for this study is the Rio Grande Valley of Texas, which is comprised of Cameron, Hidalgo, Starr and Willacy Counties. Figure 1 shows the location of the Valley in relation to Texas. The Rio Grande Valley (RGV) lies on the southernmost tip of Texas. Three of the four counties (Cameron, Hidalgo, and Starr) lie along the U.S. Mexico border. The total land area of this region is 4,866.49 square miles.
Figure 1: The Rio Grande Valley of Texas



Population Characteristics


An important demographic variable influencing economic conditions of a region is population.
•From 1990 to 2000 the population of RGV has grown from 701,888 to 978,369, a 39.4% increase.
•In this same time period between 1990 and 2000:
o Cameron County grew by 28.9%, from 260,120 to 335,227 people,
o Hidalgo County grew by 48.5%, from 383,545 to 569,463 people,
o Starr County grew by 32.3%, from 40,518 to 53,597 people, and
o Willacy county grew by 13.4%, 17,705 to 20,082 people.
The population in the RGV is growing at a tremendous pace. Looking at the population percent change between 1990 and 2000, we see that both of RGV’s metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) are in the top thirty fastest growing regions in the nation. These include the McAllen-Edinburg-Mission MSA (ranked 4th) and Brownsville-Harlingen-San Benito MSA (ranked 28th).
The 1990 and 2000 population of cities and census designated places (CDPs ) in Cameron, Hidalgo, Starr and Willacy Counties is presented in Tables 1 to 4.
Table 1-Cameron County 1990 and 2000 Population

Table 2-Hidalgo County 1990 and 2000 Population

Table 3 - Starr County 1990 and 2000 Population

Table 4 - Willacy County 1990 and 2000 Population

Historical Population

Historical population figures for the past few decades have shown tremendous growth in the Rio Grande Valley (Figure 2). The one time decrease in population of -3.8% occurred between 1960 and 1970 and the greatest increase in population of 105.5% occurred between 1920 and 1930. The greatest numerical increase of 276,481 people was between 1990 and 2000.
Figure 2- Population growth in RGV since 1900
Population Density

Population density in the Rio Grande Valley varies greatly from south to the north. In Cameron County, Brownsville, Harlingen and San Benito are densely populated (1,737.8, 1,688.1, and 2,131.3, persons/sq. mile, respectively). In Hidalgo County, most of the population is concentrated on the south side of the county in towns along Highway 83, with a population density of 562.4 persons/sq. mile. There are very few population pockets in the north side of Hidalgo County. Starr and Willacy Counties as a whole are sparsely populated (43.82 persons/sq. mile in Starr County, and 25.6 persons/sq. mile in Willacy County). Table 5 shows the population density in the four county area of the Rio Grande Valley.
Table 5 - Area Population and Density

Population Breakdown

With Rio Grande Valley’s median age of 28.0, against a state median age of 32.3 and a national median age of 35.3, the region’s large young population is its greatest asset and its greatest challenge.
Table 6 - Median Age, Gender,and Race

Figure 3- Age-Sex Pyramid for Rio Grande Valley
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Population Projections

Population in the Rio Grande Valley is expected to grow at a rate of 4% per year in the coming years. The year 2000 is used as a base year and projections up to the year 2020 are shown in Table 7 for the four counties in the RGV.
Table 7 - Population Projections

Employment Characteristics

A look at employment patterns shows significantly higher unemployment rates in the Rio Grande Valley as compared with the State of Texas (Figure 4).

Figure 4- Unemployment Rates 2000-2002
Income and Poverty Characteristics

To add to the Rio Grande Valley’s economic struggle, the region has a high poverty rate and low median household income (Figures 5 and 6). Following the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB's) Directive 14, the Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to detect who is poor. If a family's total income is less than that family's threshold, then that family, and every individual in it, is considered poor. The poverty thresholds do not vary geographically, but they are updated annually for inflation with the Consumer Price Index (CPI). The official poverty definition counts money income before taxes and excludes capital gains and noncash benefits (such as public housing, medicaid, and food stamps). Table 8 presents the 2002 Poverty Guidelines for families in the U.S.

Table 8- 2002 Poverty Guidelines

Figure 5- Percent of Persons Below Poverty - 2000

Figure 6- Median Household Income - 2000

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Educational Attainment

A major contributor to unemployment and high poverty is the vast difference in the levels of educational attainment among the adult population. Figures 7 and 8 show that the percentages of high school graduates and college graduates in the Rio Grande Valley counties were distinctly lower than those of high school and college graduates in Texas as a whole.

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Figure 7- Percentage of Persons 25 Years and Over: High School Graduates
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Economic Profile

The economic well being of the Rio Grande Valley region does not compare favorably to the state, when regional and state economic indicators are compared. The Rio Grande Valley region’s unemployment rate is 12.0%, which is almost 6 percentage points above the state rate of 6.2%. The per capita income in the Rio Grande Valley region is $9,337, which is less than half the state per capita income of $19,617. With high unemployment and low per capita income, it is not surprising the region’s poverty rate is 35.7%, more than double the state’s poverty rate of 15.4%.
In terms of jobs, growth in this region has been notable. In 1990, the total employment in the RGV region was 236,449 but by September 2002 had grown to 330,961, representing an average annual growth rate of 3.3 percent, eclipsing the statewide rate of 2.08 percent posted during this time. In terms of population, this region has grown extensively as discussed earlier.
Both employment and population growth rates determine if the region is becoming a larger part of the Texas pie. In terms of population and employment, the RGV region is gaining in importance. In 1990, the RGV region accounted for 4.1 percent of the state’s population and 2.9 percent of the state’s employment. By the turn of the century, in 2000, this region accounted for 4.7 percent of the state’s population and 3.2 percent of the state’s employment base.
Much of Rio Grande Valley’s economic drive stems from its geographical and cultural ties to Mexico. At the center of international economic activity between the Americas, with several international bridges, the area is poised for explosive economic growth. The Rio Grande Valley benefits from growing diversity in manufacturing facilities located in the McAllen-Edinburg- Mission MSA and Brownsville-Harlingen-San Benito MSA and in nearby Reynosa and Matamoros, Mexico across the international border. These manufacturing facilities are called maquiladoras or twin plants. Among the most active regions on the Texas-Mexico border in terms of maquiladora or cross- border manufacturing is McAllen, TX/Reynosa, Mexico. This region offers access to suppliers in both nations, the ability to allow personnel to live in the U.S., and ease of distribution to both north and south. Recent years have seen an influx of automotive equipment, telecommunications, electronics, and motor companies. Manufacturing growth in Reynosa and Matamoros, Mexico creates corresponding employment increases on the Texas side of the border. This manufacturing trend is expected to continue and NAFTA has had a significant impact on the growth of the maquiladoras. NAFTA’s positive impact can be noticed by the Valley’s employment profile. Employment growth has shown an upward trend in the past several years (see Table 9).

Table 9- Employment Growth in the RGV
The total number of people employed in the RGV in September 2002 was 330,961 persons. The total labor force at the same time was 375,973. The total labor force includes both employed and unemployed persons. Employed persons are persons 16 years and over in the civilian non-institutional population who, during the reference week, (a) did any work at all (at least 1 hour) as paid employees, worked in their own business, profession, or on their own farm, or worked 15 hours or more as unpaid workers in an enterprise operated by a member of the family, and (b) all those who were not working but who had jobs or businesses from which they were temporarily absent because of vacation, illness, bad weather, childcare problems, maternity or paternity leave, labor-management dispute, job training, or other family or personal reasons, whether or not they were paid for the time off or were seeking other jobs. Each employed person is counted only once, even if he or she holds more than one job. Excluded are persons whose only activity consisted of work around their own house (painting, repairing, or own home housework) or volunteer work for religious, charitable, and other organizations. Unemployed persons are persons 16 years and over who had no employment during the reference week, were available for work, except for temporary illness, and had made specific efforts to find employment sometime during the 4-week period ending with the reference week. Persons who were waiting to be recalled to a job from which they had been laid off need not have been looking for work to be classified as unemployed.
Some of the largest employers in the Rio Grande Valley include public schools, hospitals, health care agencies, restaurants, food stores, and social service agencies. The service industry accounts for 36 percent of the total economy, followed by local government (20%) and trade (17%).
Many of the industries generating large numbers of new jobs in the RGV region will be driven by population growth, this growth will continue to drive the need for more municipal and school district workers. There is a continued shift towards expenditures on consumer services such as restaurants, health services, and amusement expenditures. Many of the industries supplying these services employ a large number of people, so even modest growth in the demand for these industries can result in sizable job growth. Construction will also add more jobs.
Also fueling strong overall growth will be services provided to business, including personnel supply services, legal services, management and public relations and miscellaneous business services. This growth will serve to aid businesses involved in trade with Mexico and will help existing firms continue a trend of outsourcing jobs. Increased trade with Mexico will continue to fuel growth in trucking and warehousing activity.

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PURPOSE OF THIS REPORT
The 2002 Labor Market Information report has been prepared to identify targeted industries and occupations in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas. The industries and occupations identified in this report are expected to offer the greatest potential for job opportunities. It is the intent of this report to guide educational institutions to offer training programs in work- related fields that are in demand. Workforce development boards and other regional entities can rely on this report for decision-making and implementation of education and workforce development programs. This report also serves as a guide to prepare the Rio Grande Valley for the future.

I don't want to sound negative, but skip South Padre Island. It's the worst place I have ever visited (and I have traveled extensively). Spend your time in San Antonio and/or Austin...both great places. South Padre is dirty, slimy and has a corrupt "justice" system. It doesn't even feel like part of the United States. When I visited, I thought I had left the country. And although Larry above recommends the La Copa, that place is disgusting. If you do go, absolutely do not stay at the Casa Bella. That place is beyond corrupt and beyond filth and should be shut down either by the health department or the city. (Check out the reviews on Tripadvisor.com for verification). If you want a nice beach town, go to Key West, Florida or West Palm Beach or Naples or any number of nice beaches in this country but don't waste your time in this gross place.
Rich on Oct 17, 09 at 8:03am
Sounds like wicheesehead had a runin with the Law and is taking it out on SPI . .
wicheesehead on Oct 17, 09 at 10:16am
No, I did not have a run-in with the law. I had a run-in with the Casa Bella hotel where it was apparent the people who run it pay kickbacks to the police, whom I called to report these people for fraud. To make a long story short, I went to the Justice of the Peace (an office we don't have in Wisconsin), where I thought I was in bizarro land! When it was my turn to see the "judge" to ask what I could do about the fraud going on at the Casa Bella, his mother, who came to visit him while I was waiting, was there too! In the end, I basically had no legal recourse and then the judge gave me a t-shirt with the name of a local bar across the back with the words, "South Padre Island Spring Break 2008." To read more about the situation go to Tripadvisor.com and read the reviews on the Casa Bella. Mine is titled, "Fruad! Stay Away!!"

One good thing about the trip is that I now use another reviewer's comment on the Casa Bella as my rating system for hotels. If a hotel is really bad, we now call it a "Free Panties with Stay" kind of place or similarly, if nice, NOT a "Free Panties with Stay" kind of place.

The worst part is when you read the reviews of the other hotels there, they are all bad so I don't know where people stay. Maybe others have lower standards than me but neither the La Copa or the Casa Bella were my kind of places!

That island creeped me out and I will NEVER return. I would hate to get into some real legal trouble there because justice is a foreign concept.

I don't understand what Texans see in South Padre Island. I think they are so provincial and narrow minded they never leave the state to see what's out there and believe me, there are far better beach towns in this country than that place.

I do encourage you to read my review about the Casa Bella...in fact read all of them...they are quite amusing!
travelerfromtx on Oct 17, 09 at 2:06pm
I read your review wicheesehead and agree what happened to you was horrible. I'm curious as to the final outcome. Did you have to pay the $150 for the repair or did the credit card company resolve the issue?

BTW, please don't make such drastic generalizations about all Texans because you had such a bad experience on SPI. There are certainly plenty of Texans that leave the state to "see what's out there"!! Surely you didn't really mean that terribly condescending remark.
wicheesehead on Oct 17, 09 at 4:24pm
My credit card company did suspend the charge immediately and I never did have to pay it. However, what irritated me most was when I called the police, the cop refused to even take my statement. I told him he was not the judge and jury and it was not his role to determine whether I had a legitimate complaint. He was there to allow me to file a complaint and it was his duty to then investigate it. I told him a crime was being committed here and the police needed to do something about it. He proceeded to tell me how he stayed at that hotel regularly which is odd since he's obviously a local resident. I then accused him of taking kickbacks and that was the reason he wouldn't take my statement. That did prompt him to allow me to finally write a statement but I am sure he threw it away after he left. Somewhere along the line, he told me I had to go to the Justice of the Peace which I didn't really understand. As I said, we don't have such a system here and I don't even know what a Justice of the Peace does, except marry people. Even as I waited, I had no idea why I was there and I had to wait a long time. When I did finally see him (and his mother), his secretary came in with me and made a slitting motion against her neck and kept saying, "Don't say anything, don't say anything." I took that to mean they were well aware of the corruption going on and they were covering it up. The judge told me I could file a small claims complaint but I'd have to come back to do so and of course I'm from Wisconsin so that wasn't practical. There is something grossly wrong going on down there. In addition to the corruption, that place is a health hazard and should be shut down just based on that. They don't clean the linens or the rooms...it's disgusting and they take advantage of unsuspecting tourists in any way they can and the cops know it.

Perhaps my statement about Texans was a bit condescending but I do run into a lot of them who think Texas is the only state in the union. I understand state pride but it's more like arrogance and its off-putting. But I do stand by my assessment of San Antonio and Austin. San Antonio in particular is really a neat town.
Rich on Oct 17, 09 at 5:21pm
"Perhaps my statement about Texans was a bit condescending"

every bit as much of an understatement as your broad criticizms of Texqas are an overstatement.
wicheesehead on Oct 17, 09 at 9:35pm
You may take offense of my characterization of Texans and believe it an overstatement, but my description of my experience with native Texans was actually an understatement and while I concede my statement may be offensive to some, it is a generalization of my observations which is what humans do all the time. We make judgments.
Toucan2 on Oct 17, 09 at 9:37pm
The problem is, as I see it, is that your sweeping generalizations make me much more likely to take your statements about SPI with a grain of salt.

And no, I am not from Texas.
wicheesehead on Oct 17, 09 at 11:38pm
The original poster asked for information about SPI. I provided that. I also made the following statement:

I don't understand what Texans see in South Padre Island. I think they are so provincial and narrow minded they never leave the state to see what's out there and believe me, there are far better beach towns in this country than that place.

As I reread my original statement, I've reconsidered and don't think it was particularly offensive or sweeping. Texans as a group are provincial. Provincialism is neither positive or negative. Are there exceptions? Absolutely. But my statement still stands. I seriously do not see what Texans see in SPI and my theory is that it has to do with provincialism.

My experience with Texans is not from SPI but from spending a lot of time in other parts of Texas. This is the opinion I have formed. You can agree or disagree. You can take my observations with all the grains of salt you wish. Frankly, I don't care.

What irritates me is the fact that you took a benign statement (since provincial is a neutral term) and made a judgment about it and me and then turn around and accuse me of making judgments. Something a wee bit hypocritical about that.

But hey, since you think my statements about SPI are somehow tainted and/or false, by all means stay at the Casa Bella while you are there!
Rich on Oct 18, 09 at 7:44am
You go to the most popular location for Spring Breakers, at Easter of all times . . pick a dump to stay in and then insult everyone you came in contact with and complain that Texas and Texans are crap . . you must have a lovely life
wicheesehead on Oct 18, 09 at 11:57pm
Actually I do have a lovely life that's why I was so offended by my stay in SPI. As for staying in a dump, I tried to pick the best hotel listed with no knowledge whatsoever of SPI. Since the original place was listed as #1, I thought it would be ok. It was gross. We left in a downpour, at 10PM and drove around the island trying to find an acceptable accommodation. Casa Bella looked great from the outside, since it was new. Unfortunately it was not ok. Part of my disappointment with SPI was its complete lack of suitable housing.

FYI, SPI is not "the most popular location for Spring Breakers" and your statement precisely indicates your provincial view and my point.

And you have grossly exaggerated what I said. Nowhere have I written that Texas and Texans are crap. Where did that come from?

Don't bother to answer because I'm done being insulted by yet another Texan and I'm on my way of town...funny thing too is, I'm going to....TEXAS!

The Brownsville Herald ^ | March 29, 2010 | ILDEFONSO ORTIZ
A respite from an ongoing sad situation is what Mexican nationals are calling their Semana Santa trip to South Padre Island. Despite numerous reports of firefights inside towns and on main highways between rival drug cartels and occasionally the military, Mexican tourists are taking to the roads in an effort to get away from it all — if only for a short while. "It’s really getting bad over there," said Monterrey tourist Alejandra Garza. "The roads have been bad, the city is bad; we really just needed a break." Traveling by day, without stops and in a caravan with friends,...

[Mexico:]Pharr bridge, other points blocked, amid shootouts across Reynosa
March 30, 2010 12:54:20 PM CDT · by SwinneySwitch · 14 replies · 622+ views
The Monitor ^ | March 30, 2010
REYNOSA — City officials say northbound access to the Pharr-Reynosa International Bridge and other points throughout the city are blocked. Mexican authorities said there are unconfirmed reports of several street battles have occurred across the city, including near Boulevard Morelos, Rio Purificacion, Mexico Highway 2 near the Pharr-Reynosa International Bridge and Mexico Highway 40 — the highway to Monterrey. Information about casualties was not immediately available. "There are some violent events happening," said a Mexican official who was not authorized to comment. Photos posted by Twitter users today show tour buses being used to block traffic and federal police along...

“Â*Ripping off students in PadreÂ*â€

http://lawenforcementcorruption.blogspo ... chive.html

Annual Report Main Page
< S.W. New Mexico | S.W. West Texas >
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Southwest Border HIDTA
South Texas Partnership

Mission Statement: Measurably diminish drug trafficking thereby reducing the impact of illicit drugs in this and other areas of the country. Specific goals include the reduction of regional drug trafficking, money laundering activities, drug-related crime, drug availability, drug-related public corruption, as well as the identification and prosecution of drug trafficking organization leaders while increasing counterdrug intelligence exchange.

General Information:
Year of Designation: 1990
Geographic area of Responsibility:
Texas: Bexar, Cameron, Dimmit, Hidalgo, Jim Hogg, Kinney, La Salle, Maverick, Starr, Val Verde, Webb, Willacy, Zapata, and Zavala counties
Contact: (210) 499-2950
Threat Abstract:

The South Texas Partnership is one of the five partnerships comprising the Southwest Border (SWB) HIDTA. The region received its HIDTA designation due to the high level of illicit drugs imported into and distributed from the region throughout the United States. More than 23,000 square miles covering 14 counties form the South Texas Partnership. A 647-mile portion of the Rio Grande River marks the southern South Texas Partnership boundary and its border with Mexico. Approximately 70 miles of Gulf of Mexico intercoastal waterways form the eastern border of the designated region. Approximately 6 million people inhabit the region comprising the South Texas Partnership and Mexican cities bordering the Rio Grande River.

The Drug Trafficking Organizations (DTO) in the region support the illegal importation and distribution of international and national DTO supplied illicit drugs. Drug origins are primarily Mexico, Central and South America. Major drugs seized include methamphetamine, heroin, ecstasy, cocaine, and marijuana. Drug volume seizures in 1999 grew more than 105 percent from 1998. South Texas assets and US currency seized during 1999 totaled more than $20 million dollars, an increase of 77.3 percent from 1998.

Major Northern Mexico highways lead to major South Texas Ports of Entry (POE) and the US interstate system in Texas for transport of imported illicit drugs throughout the United States. The South Texas POE are among the busiest in the nation. The Laredo, Texas POE is the busiest cargo land POE in the United States. High traffic levels resulting from the North American Free Trade Agreement play a significant role in illicit drug trafficking. Smugglers attempt to use POE traffic to mask illicit drug transportation. In 1999, 64 percent of the drug volume the Drug Enforcement Administration reported in their Domestic Drug Removal Statistics represents the amount seized within the South Texas HIDTA.

Strategy Abstract:

Six federal, one state, and four local Law Enforcement Agency (LEA) members comprise the South Texas Executive Committee (EXCOM). The EXCOM developed Strategy depends on LEA members from 43 federal, state, and local agencies to reduce illicit drug availability within the region, and thus the nation. The EXCOM meets quarterly, as directed by the mutually approved charter, to discuss and evaluate South Texas Partnership achievements and direction. Interdiction, intelligence, investigations, and prosecution efforts form the Strategy tenants. A centralized Deconfliction Center supports operations across the region. The counterdrug strategy uses a central intelligence center with remote initiative cells to provide tactical and or strategic support.

The EXCOM consolidates task forces into single area initiatives when appropriate. Consolidation allows key LEA leaders to better manage area resources for specific needs. Initiatives in McAllen, Laredo, and San Antonio include task forces with interdiction, investigative, intelligence, and or prosecution efforts. Brownsville, Eagle Pass, and Del Rio task forces focus on investigative efforts. Brownsville, McAllen, and Laredo each have intelligence task forces or cells supporting the overall intelligence exchange centralized in San Antonio. The South Texas Partnership Deconfliction is managed by the San Antonio Intelligence Center. The Texas Narcotics Intelligence System (TNIS) Analyst Section is headquartered in Austin. The Southwest Border HIDTA's South Texas and West Texas Partnerships plus the North Texas and Houston HIDTAs each benefit from the assets of this jointly funded initiative. The EXCOM strategy directs allegations of drug-related public corruption be investigated from a central McAllen location with cells in Brownsville and Laredo.

Investigative Support Center:

The South Texas Partnership Information Support resources provide for the mutual development and exchange of counterdrug related intelligence. The South Texas HIDTA Intelligence Center, located in San Antonio, is the focal point for South Texas intelligence support. The South Texas HIDTA Intelligence Center also develops the Southwest Border HIDTA South Texas Partnership's Annual Threat Assessment for the EXCOM and manages the Deconfliction Center for event and case deconfliction to maximize officer safety. Limited organic analytical support is available in each initiative or task force. Intelligence and deconfliction support is routinely provided by the South Texas HIDTA Intelligence Center 14-hours a day, five days a week. However, surge capability is available 24-hours a day on an as needed, case by case basis. Event and or subject deconfliction use in 1999 increased 148 per cent over 1998. South Texas HIDTA Intelligence Center overall reported outputs increased 11 per cent over 1998.

The South Texas Partnership provides the intelligence avenues for counterdrug information collection, analysis, fusion, reporting, and processing within the region. Local, State and Federal resources are located within San Antonio, Brownsville, McAllen, and Laredo. The Brownsville, McAllen, and Laredo intelligence task forces or cells provide for near real-time tactical as well as limited strategic counterdrug support. Long-term Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) case support is provided by each intelligence resource in the South Texas Partnership. The OCDETF assists increased 400 per cent in 1999 over 1998 in the region.

The Texas Department of Public Safety TNIS and Analysis Section provides for the connectivity and or access to multiple databases within the South Texas Partnership, other HIDTA designated counties in the State of Texas, and the nation.

Initiatives that were approved to implement the 2000 Southwest Border HIDTA South Texas Partnership Strategy include:

Brownsville HIDTA Investigative Task Force—a collocated, multi-agency, joint task force designed to identify, disrupt and or dismantle internationally affiliated DTO with national and or regional ties within the region. Targeted organizations maintain close ties with local smugglers to introduce illegal drugs into or through this area of Texas. Reduction of illicit drug importation, distribution, transportation, and asset forfeitures is an objective of the task force. Investigations and intelligence exchange play key roles in the success of this task force.
Eagle Pass Multi-Agency SWB HIDTA Investigative Task Force—a collocated, multi-agency, joint task force designed for interdiction, investigation, prosecution, and seizure of illegal drugs and related monetary gains in the counties of Maverick, Val Verde, and Kinney. Participants bring to prosecution those DTO members involved in the growing, manufacturing, importation, distribution, and transportation of illicit drugs to and through the region. Drugs removed via this region reduce the available drugs destined for transport to major metropolitan areas across the United States.
South Texas HIDTA Del Rio Task Force—a collocated, multi-agency, joint task force directed to perform investigations, limited interdiction, and collect drug-related information. The task force supports information collection for exchange with HIDTA initiatives. It brings to prosecution those DTO, with illicit drugs destined for metropolitan markets across the nation, operating within the Del Rio area of operations. The task force exchanges intelligence leading to the arrest and successful prosecution of OCDETF and drug-related money laundering organizations.
South Texas HIDTA Laredo Initiative—an initiative collocated in Laredo for the best management of resources committed to support the area's commingled multi-agency joint task forces. The initiative consists of four collocated, commingled, multi-agency, joint task forces targeting major international DTO with regional ties. The focus is the reduction of imported and transported illicit drugs and related money-laundering activities. A task force also performs information collection to support the South Texas Intelligence Center intelligence process.
South Texas HIDTA McAllen Initiative—an initiative collocated in McAllen to maximize management and the close coordination of the area's commingled, multi-agency, joint task forces. The initiative consists of four collocated multi-agency joint task forces working against internationally backed DTO operating in and through the Hidalgo County area. The initiative is to measurably impact the illicit DTO organization's illegal importation, transportation, and associated monetary gains. The task forces consolidate resources to support interdiction, intelligence development and exchange, investigations, and prosecutions.
South Texas HIDTA San Antonio Initiative—an initiative collocated in San Antonio to manage the metropolitan area's four commingled, multi-agency, joint task forces. The task forces measurably reduce the illicit drug importation, transportation, and related monetary gains for internationally associated and nationally tied DTO in the area. Task forces use interdiction, intelligence, and investigations to support OCDETF and other drug-related prosecutions. A strong controlled delivery focus for out of state regions assists greatly in the reduction of DTO across the nation.
Unity Task Force—a collocated, multi-agency, joint task force tasked to identify, dismantle and or disrupt internationally tied DTO originating in or through this border region of Texas. A significant number of interdiction and or investigative methods are used to disrupt and reduce land and water born illicit drug operations in the area. The task force reduces the nations illicit drugs due to the illegal drug importation, transportation, and related money laundering operations through this region.
South Texas Multi-Agency Drug Related Public Corruption Task Force—operating from McAllen but with cells in Laredo and McAllen, this commingling, multi-agency, joint task force focuses on drug-related, public corruption investigations. Public officials include Federal, State, and or local law enforcement, elected, appointed or related public office holders. An objective is to insure public trust and faith is maintained or restored in their governmental representatives or employees. Use intelligence obtained to support the dismantling and or disruption of identified DTO within the region.
South Texas HIDTA Intelligence Center—a collocated and commingled multi-agency joint initiative that collects, analyzes, reports, and processes drug-related information into usable strategic or tactical intelligence. Normal hours of operation are five day a week, 12-hours a day. Surge capabilities exist for seven day a week, 24-hour a day support on a case by case basis. Provides for the overall communications connectivity to all South Texas Partnership initiatives and or task forces. The initiative also manages the South Texas Partnership Deconfliction effort.
Unified Narcotics Intelligence Task Force (UNIT)—a collocated, multi-agency, joint intelligence task force that provides near real-time, tactical intelligence support for multiple initiatives and task forces within the southern sector of Texas. Drug-related information is collected, analyzed, and processed for support of on-going investigations and prosecution efforts. This task force supports requests for OCDETF, other drug-related cases and in-depth local and regional intelligence targets. This task force provides on-site analytical support for the South Texas McAllen Initiative.
Texas Narcotics Intelligence System/Analyst Section—a database access and communications system designed to support counterdrug operations across Texas. Commingled with collocated, multi-agency, joint task forces across the state, the section provides strategic and near real-time analytical support for the Houston HIDTA, North Texas HIDTA, and the Southwest Border HIDTA South and West Texas Partnership functions. Drug-related interdiction activities, investigations, prosecutions, and OCDETF cases are supported by this section. The communication system permits access to other LEA databases across the SWB and the nation.
South Texas HIDTA Director's Administrative Support Element—a collocated EXCOM support element. The element develops, supports, and maintains automation plus programmatic and fiscal administration requirement to respond to the needs of each initiative and or task force budgetary, intelligence, operational, and logistical requirements within the South Texas Partnership EXCOM area of oversight. Provide liaison as needed with all necessary LEA.
Outcomes:

In 1999, South Texas Partnership seized 48 percent (136,182 kilograms) more drugs than it did in 1998. The amount of drug related US currency seized increased by over 25 percent ($4,193,08 from 1998. These dramatic seizure increases caused illicit drug trafficking organizations to begin altering their modes of operations across the region. Returns from asset forfeitures reduce the local cost of removing drugs from the streets. The returns assist in implementing community drug demand reduction efforts. Therefore, the South Texas Partnership is indirectly addressing both the demand reduction efforts and illicit drug supply issues within its region. Public opinion surveys, as reported by the Texas Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse, indicate law enforcement agencies are removing more drugs from the streets and thus providing for safer communities. Law enforcement controlled deliveries to destinations outside of Texas are removing a growing number of DTO operatives within Texas and across the nation. South Texas Partnership interdiction efforts have documented DTO changes in operations due to these efforts. Intelligence, interdiction, and investigative efforts have reduced DTO within the region by almost 10 percent. Subject and or event deconfliction system use across the region increased by 148 percent, thus reducing the officer safety concerns. Federal and state agencies have committed additional resources to the South Texas Partnership intelligence, interdiction, and investigative support due to successes within the region. The South Texas Partnership outcomes support the HIDTA's Threat Assessment and EXCOM Strategy.

Participating Agencies:

Federal: Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, Drug Enforcement Administration, Department of Justice, The Office of the Inspector General, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Immigration and Naturalization Service, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations, Department of Defense Joint Task Force Six, United States Attorney's Office Southern District of Texas, United States Attorney's Office Western District of Texas, United States Border Patrol, United States Customs Service, United States Customs Service Internal Affairs, United States Marshals Service

State: Texas Adjutant General's Office, Texas Department of Banking, Texas Department of Public Safety, Texas National Guard, and Texas Rangers

Local: Bexar County Sheriff's Office, Brownsville Police Department, Cameron County Sheriff's Office, Cameron County District Attorney's Office, Eagle Pass Police Department, Harlingen Police Department, Hidalgo County Sheriff's Office, Hidalgo County District Attorney's Office, Laredo Police Department, La Salle County Sheriff's Office, Leon Valley Police Department, Kinney County Sheriff's Office, Maverick County District Attorney's Office, Mission Police Department, Pharr Police Department, San Antonio Police Department, Starr County District Attorney's Office, Val Verde County Sheriff's Office, Webb County District Attorney's Office, Webb County Constable's Office, Weslaco Police Department, Zapata County District Attorney's Office, Zapata County Sheriff's Office, 25th Judicial District Task Force, and 81st Judicial District Task Force

Information is provided by the Southwest Border HIDTA South Texas Partnership.

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