Paul Coverdell: “The headline reads, ``Drug Runners Arrested at Border Often Go Free.'' Smuggling: Crackdown leads to more seizures, but…”

“The headline reads, ``Drug Runners Arrested at Border Often Go Free.'' Smuggling: Crackdown leads to more seizures, but jail overcrowding and clashing priorities force suspects' release. During the Federal Government's yearlong narcotics crackdown along the Southwest border. I know this will be of interest to the Presiding Officer. Hundreds of suspected smugglers have been allowed to go free after U.S. authorities arrested them with substantial quantities of drugs at ports of entry in California. In the past year, about 2,300 suspected traffickers were taken into custody for bringing drugs across the border but, according to records and interviews, more than one in four were simply sent home to Mexico because of jail overcrowding. . . Two suspects with 32 pounds of methamphetamine, and another with 37,000 Quaalude tablets, were simply ``excluded'' from the United States after their drugs and vehicles were confiscated. After a seizure of 158 pounds of cocaine, one defendant was cited and released because there was no room at the federal jail, said the women's attorney. The charges against her were dropped, the attorney added. Mr. President, it is just one travesty after another. One 58-year-old U.S. citizen, according to seizure records, was arrested three times this year at the border--in January with 53 pounds of marijuana, in February with 51 pounds and this month with 41 pounds.”