CUSTOMS AND BORDER AGENTS HERE AT THE SAN YSIDRO PORT OF ENTRY FACE A TOUGH BALANCING
ACT.\ TRYING TO STOP DRUGS AND OTHER ILLEGAL CARGO
FROM GETTING INTO THE U.S.\ IN RECENT YEARS THEY'VE SEEN A DRAMATIC INCREASE
IN ONE PARTICULAR DRUG, METH SEIZURE.\ SAN
DIEGO HAS A LONG AND TROUBLED HISTORY WITH METHAMPHETAMINE.\
DURING WORLD WAR TWO METH SPREAD AMONG MANY AMERICAN SERVICE MEMBERS.\
WHEN THEY CAME BACK TO THE U.S. PRIMARILY THROUGH SAN DIEGO THEY BROUGHT THEIR ADDICTIONS
WITH THEM.\ AND THEY HELPED SPAWN A DOMESTIC METH INDUSTRY.\
>> >>: GANGS, BIKER GANGS, USUALLY CONTROLLED THE METH PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION.\
AND MEXICO USED TO PROVIDE THE PRECURSORS.\ >> >>BETH ACCOMANDO: IN THE 1990S, SAN DIEGO
BECAME KNOWN AS THE METH CAPITAL OF THE COUNTRY.\ RAMPANT ABUSE ACCOMPANIED SEVERAL HIGH PROFILE
CRIMES.\ THERE WAS A MAN WHO HIGH JACKED A TANK AND
DROVE IT DOWN THE HIGHWAY, AND THE COUPLE WHO SCALDED THEIR FOUR YEAR OLD NIECE TO DEATH
IN A BATHTUB.\ IN BOTH CASES THE PERPETRATORS WERE HIGH ON
METH.
THE DAMAGE CAUSED A CRACK DOWN ON DOMESTIC METH PRODUCTION.\
>> >>: IT WAS AN EXTRAORDINARILY UNQUALIFIED SUCCESS.\
>> >>BETH ACCOMANDO: WITH CONTINUED DEMAND, ORGANIZED CRIME SAW A BIG OPPORTUNITY.\
>> >>: ESPECIALLY THE SINALOA CARTELS HAVE SAID WHY AREN'T WE PRODUCING THIS OURSELVES.\
>> >>BETH ACCOMANDO: NOW GARCIA SAYS MORE THAN 80% OF METH SEIZED IN THE U.S. IS MADE
IN MEXICO, DESPITE THEIR OWN ATTEMPTS TO CURVE PRODUCTION.\
MOST OF THE METH COMES THROUGH SAN DIEGO MAKING THIS A CURRENT METH TRACKING CAPITAL OF THE
COUNTRY.\ IN PARTS THAT'S BECAUSE SAN DIEGO IS HOME
TO THE BIGGEST LAND CROSSING BETWEEN U.S. AND MEXICO.\
MORE LEGAL TRAFFIC TENDS TO COME WITH MORE ILLEGAL TRAFFIC.\
HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY ALSO PLAY A ROLL.\ >> >>: ONE OF THE MAJOR CRIMINAL ORGANIZATIONS
WORK WITHING METH HAS BEEN BASED ON THE PACIFIC AREA OF THE MEXICO, IN THE COLIMA REGION.\
>> >>BETH ACCOMANDO: IT'S TAKEN OVER THE OLD SMUGGLING ROUTES AND OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS
COME TO UP DOMINATE DRUG TRAFFICKING IN BAJA, CALIFORNIA.\
>> >>: IT MAKES A LOT OF SENSE THIS WOULD BE MOVING THROUGH SAN DIEGO.\
>> >>BETH ACCOMANDO: MOST OF THE METH COMES ACROSS THE BORDER HIDDEN IN PASSENGER CARS
AND WHILE HEIGHTENED SECURITY HAS MADE SMUGGLING RISKIER, THE PROFITS ARE EXTRAORDINARY.\
>> >>: WE'VE HAD EXPERT TESTIMONY IN OUR CASES\'a0 CONSERVATIVE LEVEL BETWEEN 14 AND 19DOLLARS
A POUND WHEN IT COME INTO SAN DIEGO.\ THAT PRICE HAS INCREASED I THINK DRAMATICALLY
TOO OVER A PERIOD OF TIME.\ THE PRICE PRETTY MUCH DOUBLED FROM WHAT THAT
POUND IS IN MEXICO TO THE POUND IN THE UNITED STATES.\
>> >>BETH ACCOMANDO: IT'S DIFFICULT TO KNOW HOW MUCH MEXICAN METH IS MAKING IT THROUGH
SAN DIEGO PORTS OF ENTRY.\ PUBLIC HEALTH WORKERS SAY METH USE IN THE
COUNTY IS AGAIN ON THE RISE.\ STILL, BORDER U AUTHORITIES THINK PART OF
THE REASON DRUGS SEIZURES HAVE INCREASE SD BECAUSE THEY'RE DOING A BETTER JOB AT PROTECTING
DRUGS.\ DRUG SNIFFLING DOGS TIME TO WEAVE IN AND OUT
OF THE CARS AND ALERT OFFICERS TO HIDDEN STASHES.\ POWERFUL XRAY MACHINES CAN SPOT POCKETS IN
GAS TANKS AND HIDDEN PANELS DRUGS FOUND IN THREE DIFFERENT CARS THIS MORNING, 22 BUNDLES
OF MARIJUANA IN THIS GAS TANK AND THE NEXT STEP IS WOO WEIGH IT.\
AUTHORITIES ARE REALISTIC ABOUT FINALLY BEATING THE TRAFFICKERS.\
>> >>: THEY'RE GOING TO GO DO SOMETHING ELSE, BUT WE'RE TRYING TO GET THEM TO GO AWAY FROM
METH, BECAUSE METH JUST RAVAGES ANY USER.\ >> >>JILL REPLOGLE: JILL REPLOGLE KPBS NEWS.}