European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - December 3, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 4 the stars and stripes saturday december 3,1938 . Cites gains in marijuana Battle Washington a1 Federal agents eradicated roughly 60 percent of Floc marijuana grown in National forests during 1988, while sharply increasing the num Ber of cultivation arrest and Plant seizures a . Forest service official said Friday. The estimated Street value of the plants Sei cd in 1988 was More than  billion said de few the Forest service s Issi Swul Branch chief for Law enforce ment. He added thai the Forest service considered Hal a conservative  tic said agents Anil rangers seized More than 340.000 plants in Lyst compared with 255,000 plants in 1987. At the same Lime the number of physical assaults against agents and members of the Public in cases re lated to marijuana growing was Dawn but the number of Sites that were Booby trapped were up according to Forest service figures. The statistics also indicate thai growers now apparently Are concentrating their efforts on More potent forms of marijuana such As sin Semilla and on hybrids that produce More pounds of Saleable marijuana per Plant. The crackdown on drug growers in the forests has become one of the Agency s of Priori lies and agents Are armed with increased enforcement Powers Ano More Money than in the past in essence. 1988 is the first full year in which we have been Able to see the Success of Bur efforts said few. We now have policies and strategies in opera Tion to attack this problem.1 few said Federal agents wiped out an estimated 60 percent of the marijuana grown in National forests in 1988, compared with an estimated 40 percent of the crop in 1987. Few said the Agency was comfortable with its Esti mates which arc based on intelligence from Field agents and surveys of marijuana plantations that were harvested before being selected. It would be Nice to get 00 percent of the crop. Few said but we would be foolish to predict that. The objective is to seize enough so that it becomes apparent to she growers that it a rot Cost effective for them to use National Forest  few said that while agents once used to find plantations with 4,000 or 5,000 plants in a Forest Clearing most Sites now contain about 100 plants Hal Are grow ing near other Trees or Brush. The number of marijuana growing arrests made by the Forest service was up almost 400 percent from 134 nationwide in 1987 to 527 this year. Few said. We be dealt with the problem to some extent Over the past 10 years handling Ilas a Misdemeanour crime and concent rating on eradication few said the 1936 drug act gave us the tools we needed to do the  drug growers now face felony charges and agents now Are allowed to pursue suspects even after they leave Federal lands. This year also was the first year in which the Forest service received All the funds Tor drug enforcement programs it had re queued a total of $3,2 million few said. The number of physical assaults on agents str Mem Bers of the general Public using National forests dropped from 19 in 1987 to 11 in 1988, while the number of Sites found with potentially lethal i by traps grew from 83 in 1987 to 116 in 1988 few said there was a dramatic increase in the number of marijuana plantations found that exclusively contained he More potent sins Omilla plants with 1.255 such Sites found in 1987 and 2,268 such Sites found this year. He said the Street value of sin Semilla can be almost twice thai of less polint types. No Day of wine and roses Fri agents in new York City escort is trill of lh75 people arrested in the uni Ltd stairs along with 133 in Sicily As part of a major crackdown on Miilu drug rings. Authorities say drugs were smuggled in a number of ways including in shipments of wine and ruses. Arrests Wert made to six Stales. Dukakis meet top demos. Washington al1 George Bush and Michael Dukakis formerly Bitler rivals met cordially Friday though Duka Kis resorted to Campaign rhetoric in warning inc chickens Are coining Home to Roost from Republican economic policies. Dukakis met with Bush after talks with lop a Tux Rais on Capitol  who Defeated the democratic governor of Massachusetts for the presi Dency on nov. A said the postelection  was in the finest Trade lion of american politics.  Prei Idoni Cocci who instigated the meeting said i want to express my a. Pc citation to governor Dukakis for conv song our Way we had Good discussion of the issues thai Are facing the country in a spirit Osgood  Dukakis also called it a Good Dis Cussion. He offered no judgment on Bush s Early transition moves saying. The real test will come when the new administration is fully formed and begins o move Forward with its  the vice president elect Dan Quayle often inc object of Dukakis scorn during the Campaign greeted him inside the vice president s residence along with James Baker 111, Bush s Campaign Man Ager arid his Choice for secretary1 of state. Both left before Bush s 35-Niinute Mcfetr ing with Dukakis. After the visit inc two stepped out without topcoats into the brisk afternoon for a Brief word with reporters. Dukakis who earlier Friday made a series of Calls on the democratic lenders of Congress said he and. Bush talked about the future i expressed my concern obviously about inc deficit and some of the issues the democrats campaigned on belter health care housing education and the  said he did t bring up the negative Tenor of the Campaign. We had a Good Tough Campaign thai s behind us Dukakis said. The question now is How do we build a Good  " the governor joked thai he was Hesi Tant to offer Bush advice on the deficit Given his own problems with his state s budget. But then he said Hal the country faces a very formidable Challenge. We be had eight years of endless borrow ing and spending and inc chickens arc coming Home to Roost he said the vice president is anxious to  Msten and reach out and that s a Good thing.".,. Hush left him with a seasonal wish god bless you and have a great .christmas.". Earlier Bush met at inc White House with a former gop rival. Pal Robertson and spoke of the wonderful Way that friendships survive Campaign Battles. . Sends 5 criminals Back to Cuba Birmingham. Ala. A five cubans Wilh criminal records left the United Stales Friday for their Homeland in the first return of Mariel boat people since cuban prisoners rioted last year to protest the pending deportations. A . Marshal s service air plane carrying about 10 people took off from the Birmingham Airport at mid morning. Security was tight with the five cubans shackled in Handcuffs and guarded by armed agonis led one by one to the plane. They had been taken to the Airport from the Federal prison at Talladega where they had been held pending a final ruling on deportation. The flight had been scheduled for thursday but was delayed when Cuba asked for More time to prepare to receive i he five three of whom had lost a series of court lights in their Effort to avoid going Home. The supreme court by a vote of by Friday cleared the Way for the deportations. Justice Thurgood Marshall was he Lone Vole to Grant an emergency request by the three to remain in America. There was no other comment by inc justices. As is required legally the cubans had earlier made the same request of one jus Tice. On thursday supreme court jus Tice Anthony m. Kennedy denied with out comment their emergency application for a stay of repatriation. The Day before inc i he . Circuit court in Atlanta also had rejected their plea.,.-. \. The other two cubans ticketed for the return flight did not oppose deportation. . District judge us Clemon ear Lier in inc week rejected an Appeal by the three that he overturn their deportation. Clemon is expected to Rule in the next few Days in the uses of 10 others who also have been held at the Federal correctional institution at Talladega 60 Miles East of Birmingham. The 15 were among 114 of the cubans placed m Talladega alter the prison riots. Last year s uprising by cuban prison ur5 at Federal lockups in Atlanta and Oakdale la., was sparked by an agreement for some of the 1980 Mariel boat lift people to be returned to Cuba. In 19so, 125,000 people some of them convicts or mentally ill sailed Ille Gally from Mariel Cuba to this country. The Justice department began a repatriation program in 1984, Ana sent Back. 201 cubans before cuban president Fidel Castro slopped the Effort in 1985