Lawbreakers Abound At Border

Here's what you get when you try to make access to the US easier. This is a disaster just waiting to happen. At least they have radiation dtectors but still you have to be concerned.

SAN DIEGO - At the world's busiest border crossing, the fast lane is turning into a slow lane.

The program unveiled in San Diego 10 years ago to speed entry for frequent border-crossers who passed a security background check has become clogged - a victim of its own popularity and an overall spike in drug smuggling.

A few months ago, motorists enrolled in SENTRI, or the Secure Electronic Network for Travelers Rapid Inspection, rarely waited more than 15 minutes to cross from Tijuana, Mexico. Now, they sometimes idle more than an hour, little better than in other lanes at the San Ysidro Port of Entry.SENTRI debuted in 1995 at San Diego's Otay Mesa Port of Entry, in El Paso in 1999, and at San Ysidro a year later. The 76,000 pass-holders paid $129 and proved they live in the border region, are economically solvent and have no serious criminal records. A no-fee pilot program for pedestrians at San Ysidro has enrolled 3,900 people since August.A transponder in a SENTRI-registered vehicle sends information to U.S. inspectors as it approaches the border in a dedicated lane. As long as the faces of the driver and passengers match those on file, they'll face less scrutiny than non-screened travelers.

That doesn't mean a free pass, though. Authorities have seen a spike in drug seizures, prompting tougher scrutiny at the checkpoint and longer delays.

"Obtaining a SENTRI card is essentially the golden ticket for drug runners, smugglers and others," said Homeland Security spokeswoman Christiana Halsey. "We trust they're low-risk, but we need to verify."At San Ysidro, there have been seven incidents of human and drug smuggling in SENTRI lanes since October. That compares to eight in the entire 2004 fiscal year, and five the year before. Last month, inspectors found 435 pounds of marijuana in a 2004 Nissan truck, according to court records. The driver, who tried crossing during the Tuesday morning rush, told authorities he was promised $1,500 to deliver the truck to San Diego.

Drug seizures have increased in the other lanes, too. For all lanes at San Ysidro, authorities confiscated 57,000 pounds of marijuana between October and March, up from 39,000 pounds in the first half of fiscal 2004.SENTRI is also a victim of its success. It accounts for about 7,200 of the 55,000 vehicles that use the San Ysidro crossing daily, yet still claims only two of the 24 lanes. Another roadblock: prescreened motorists must share their two access lanes with about 300 buses a day.

Adding to the mix, San Ysidro installed radiation detectors in all lanes last month, part of a nationwide anti-terrorism effort. The detectors require cars awaiting passage to sit 20 feet from the booth, aggravating the delay.

Adele Fasano, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection's regional field operations director, insists the long lines are temporary. Two more lanes should be converted for prescreened motorists this summer and new procedures are planned to avoid delays caused by the radiation detectors.

The U.S. State Department also plans to pay for roadwork in Tijuana that will ease congestion, but no date is set for crews to begin work, said Liza Davis, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Consulate.

Why in the world is our tax money going for roadwork in Mexico? We don't need roads we need fences.