El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-04-08
SMUGGLING ON THE
RID GRANDE
BORDER
Drug Brought From Orient
and Then Shipped Across
Border Into Texas.

The grand jury at Ell Paso is now in
vestigating what is believed TO be a gil
gantic plot TO smuggle opium across the
Texas border from Mexico, says the San
Antonio Express
Nine men are in Jail at FL Paso
charged with being implicated In the
plot, two have been apprehended at
Fort Worth and a number Of other ar
rests have been made along the border
Those in Jail at Ell Paso. as shown by
the United States marshal's docket, are
John Murphy. Perry Robertson, Charley
Johnson. V. H. Griffin, alvin Pool, Char
ley Weaver, Joe Smiley and two China
men, Yee Dun Jong and zee Hing Jong-
One of the seizures of opium was
valued at $4,000 and others of smaller
amount have been seized
Ever since the new tariff law went
into effect, making the duty on opium
higher than it previously was. and as
a result making the smuggling of the
drug a very profitable occupation, the
federal authorities along the border
have been more or less troubled 1t
has been known that considerable
smuggling has been going on, and as
a result of the good work OF the Gus
toms inspectors and the United States
marshaTs department a number of i'm
portant arrests have been made.
These arrests, it is believed by the
authorities, have uncovered con-
spiracy to bring in the forbidden drug
that extends along the entire Mexican
border from Tia Juana to Brownsville.
including Calixico. NOgales, Yuma. Ell
Paso, NacO, Eagle Pass, Laredo and
Brownsville.
On the person of some of those ar
rested were found letters and docu-
ments giving the names of those impli
Gated in the traffic; the prices paid for
opium in Mexico; the places where it
could be purchased; the points on the
border where it was shipped into the
United States; the distributing points
in this county and the prices which
should be received for it,
The names are said TO implicate
number of persons whom the federal
authorities have had under suspicion
for a long time, but have been unable
to catch. A number of them reside IN
Texas.
Collectors of customs at various Next
can border cities, the secretary of the
treasury. various United States attor-
neys and others have been furnished !
with copies of the papers and documents !
found. and number of arrests may fol- |
low if the men have not become alarmed |
by the arrest of their fellow conspira !
tors and decamped.
According to the information secured |
the highest price paid for the dope"
in Mexico is SO for a five tael, and |
this same tin is worth in this country, |
under the present embargo on opium. |
not less than 1920, and much more |
where the needs of the smokers over |
ride the market quotations.
Steamers Bring in Drug.
Every steamer coming into Mexico !
pounds of opium and through the me-
dunn of organized smugglers it finds
its way across the Mexican border into
Texas and other places. 1t is then
shipped by express TO San Francisco
and New York, the contents of the
packages being carefully concealed
from those handling it,
That opium smuggling was going on
along the Mexican border has long |
been known. Certain Mexicans. Chinese
and Americans haYe been suspected,
but it has been hard TO secure proof.
Owing to the fact that opium can be
brought across in small packages, the
price being so high that this pays the
;mugglers. it has been very difficult
o bring them to time.
The enormous profits in the snug
Cling is shown bs the fact that each
package was handled by a number of
persons. yet there was enough to di-
tide The man purchasing a $40 five |
ael can would get it across the Next
an border and would sell it for $50;
10 to $40 for each five-tael can was
ldded on by each man handling it, so
hat when it reached San Francisco it |
vas placed in the hands of the dealers
here at about 500 for a five-tael can
As each man got his money when he de-
lvered the can to the next party there ,
vas no danger of any man not getting
lis proper amount of the profit.