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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 21, 1976)
Page 4 THE BATTALION WEDNESDAY, JAN. 21, 1976 Ten million in heroin seized Computer detects dope truck Associated Press HIDALGO, Tex. — A Wisconsin family has been arrested and $10 mil lion in heroin has been seized — one of the biggest dope hauls in Texas history — during routine use of a sophisticated computer system at the International Bridge. Officers said without the computer system the couple ordinarily might have es caped detection. The arrests came Sunday after noon when a pickup truck rolled to a stop at the bridge checkpoint. The couple inside, accompanied by a small child, appeared to be a family on a normal Sunday outing, officers said. Routinely, a checkpoint employe punched the numbers from the license plate into a computerized system called ‘Treasury Enforce ment Communications” or “TEC machine.” Sometime before Sunday agents from the Federal Drug Enforcement Agency had fed information into the computer indicating that the occup ants of the vehicle were the subjects of a drug smuggling investigation. Moments after the employe punched the numbers into the com puter, a response came from San Di ego, Calif., more than 1,200 miles away, indicating that the vehicle de served special attention. An em ploye directed the pickup truck to a secondary inspection area. A search of the truck revealed that about 28 pounds of “Mexican brown” heroin was concealed inside the door panels, authorities said. Officers arrested Manuel Nunez of Marshall, Wis., and his wife on charges of attempting to smuggle he roin from Mexico into the United States. U.S. Magistrate Cruz Tijerina ar raigned the couple and set bond at $750,000 each. The pair was ordered (NEiiiiKn bum—,»P The freshman class will meet today in 301 Rudder Tower at 7:30 p.m. „ The motorcycle club will meet to morrow at 7:30 p.m. in Rudder Tower. The TAMU Horseman’s Association will meet tomorrow at 7 p.m. in 215 AI Building. OPENi ^TT*V <®> fm DRIVE CAREFULLY SC0NA HOSTESSES NEEDED Is your life dull, unexciting and in general lacking something? Do you want to be a more enlightened per son? Looking for some way to make other people happy, to do something worthwhile for yourself and A&M? Then, come up to the SCONA cubicle in the MSC and sign up for an interview time to become a hostess for the twenty-first student conference on na tional affairs. Interview times must be scheduled by 5:00 this Friday, the twenty-third. This is your opportunity to become a part of SCONA and help other people from other schools find out about the “friendliest campus.” Sound like an ad for a computer dating service? You’re wrong, but what we’ve got to offer can’t be programmed be cause it all has to do with dealing with people. Eddie Dominguez ’66 Joe Arciniega ’74 Greg Price HMMil Tiiwa If you want the real thing, not frozen or canned . . . We call It “Mexican Food Supreme." Dallas location: 3071 Northwest Hwy 352-8570 held in the Cameron County jail at Brownsville in lieu of bond. The child was released to the care of relatives. Because of the computerized sys tem, 28 pounds of heroin, estimated to be worth at least $10 million on the underworld market, was confis cated. The “Mexican connection” had been derailed by electronic equip ment. “It sure looks like they would have been passed through here if it hadn’t been for the TEC machine,” U.S. Customs Port Director Wayne Smith said. “They just appeared to be out for a Sunday drive, a man, his wife and small child. We see thousands of cars like that every day,” Smith said. The computerized system has been used for several years although most motorists are not aware their license plate numbers are being checked as they drive up to the bor der crossing. The system can be used to check for stolen cars and for persons wanted by city, state or federal offi cers in any part of the country. The spokesman cited an example of a case where the machine might indicate that the driver of a particular vehicle was wanted on an outstand ing warrant issued by police in Chicago. In that case, a federal officer would temporarily detain the vehicle while a telephone call is made to Chicago to determine if the person is still wanted. The driver could then be detained by local officers if Chicago officers still wanted him or her arrested. The computer system at San Diego is linked to all border check stations in the United States and car ries information from the National Crime Information Center, the Na tional Law Enforcement Telecom munications networks, the National Auto Theft network and Interpol, the international police organiza tion. ‘This communications network is so effective that persons trying to avoid apprehension often think there’s been a tip off,” M.R. Blackwell, director of Customs at the Roma, Tex., international port of en try, said. Summertime Naturals Bluebonnet Jewelry Each featuring a single stem bluebonnet fired on fine china. Available only at 816 Villa Maria Rd., Bryan, Texas 77801 (713) 823-5211 open 10:00 5:30 Mon. - Sat. THE GREATEST SANDWICH The greatest sandwiches in the Southwest are servey 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. each day Monday throughFfini floor 11M, Conference Tower. The greatness of these wiches is no accident. There are several types of mea' f you can select your choice and mix or match any threef I for your sandwich on the bread of your choice. Two of the several types of bread are sour dough ar fresh daily in our Duncan bakery. Eurther, these bn prepared without shortening for the diet consciousgui the greatest taste tempting delight just make yours; exactly like you want it and pop it into one of the micro-wave ovens. This wonderful sandwich and a soup for only $1.50 plus tax will place you on cloud We agree this is a bit of a long story, but it is difficult talking about our tasty sandwiches. Open Sunday 11:00 A.M* - 1:30 P.M. for regular “QUALITY FIRST” laircu: 10 TEX LARGE SIZE SALE I! i-