COUNTYWIDE : County Leads U.S. in Drug-Seizure Money

Aggressive law enforcement and widespread drug trafficking have made Orange County the nation’s leader in federally shared drug-seizure money, U.S Customs authorities said Wednesday.

“Our largest proceeds have gone to Orange County. . . . They have a lot of highly qualified, well-trained people who are doing an outstanding job,” said U.S. Customs Service Commissioner Carol Hallett during a presentation in which she gave county agencies more than $7 million in drug-seizure money.

Hallett singled out Orange County’s Regional Narcotics Suppression Program as the main reason the county has the most assets seized--and shared--in the nation.

“It’s a great program,” she said. “It does so well because of teamwork.”

Since the Customs Asset Sharing Program was launched in 1986, more than $143 million in cash has been shared with agencies nationwide. Of that money, more than $60 million has gone to agencies in California, with more than $21.5 million going to Orange County.

Officials at the county’s regional narcotics task force said that since the program was started four years ago, more than $80 million in cash has been seized, of which about $52 million is pegged to be the program’s share. More than $26 million is still due the program and will be available after forfeiture proceedings.

Earlier this week, officials with the Internal Revenue Service turned over more than $3.2 million to the task force, a coalition of more than 25 local, state and federal law enforcement agencies. Most of the money that is returned to the program is divided among the coalition’s agencies based on their participation.

On Wednesday, Customs officials handed out checks totaling $16.5 million in asset-seizure money to 25 Southland police agencies and two narcotics task forces during a presentation at the Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim.

“I know that your community appreciates the outstanding work you have been doing in the field of drug investigations,” said the Customs Service’s Pacific regional commissioner, Quintin Villanueva. “They are also grateful that you are able to take money that would have been used for drug deals and turn it against the narco-terrorists who peddle their poison in our community.”

Under federal statute, the money seized must be used for law enforcement purposes. Many local cities funnel the money back into narcotics units within their departments.

U.S. Customs Assistant Commissioner John E. Hensley said that despite intense pressure from local law enforcement agencies, Orange County is still an attractive location for drug traffickers because of its proximity to the Mexican border, a big market for drugs and many distribution avenues through trucking and aviation.

“It’s an easy place for drug traffickers to move into,” he said. Nonetheless, he added, local law enforcement agencies “are doing a great job making it tougher for them.”