By Cuellar H.R. No. 320 75R8051 AMB-D R E S O L U T I O N 1-1 WHEREAS, Drug smuggling is a significant problem at all ports 1-2 of entry into the United States, hindering the rapid and efficient 1-3 movement of trade for legitimate importers and exporters; and 1-4 WHEREAS, In 1995, 74 percent of the total United States 1-5 border port trade with Mexico crossed through Texas; this border 1-6 trade comprised $70 billion of goods, making measures to counter 1-7 narcotics smuggling crucial to the economic prosperity of Texas; 1-8 and 1-9 WHEREAS, Businesses on the Texas-Mexico border are 1-10 demonstrating their commitment to improve the international transit 1-11 of goods and the well-being of our nation by taking an active role 1-12 in the war on drugs through the formation of the Business 1-13 Anti-Smuggling Coalition; and 1-14 WHEREAS, The coalition is one of three pilot programs 1-15 nationwide designed for the private sector to take a proactive role 1-16 in assisting the United States Customs Service in combatting drug 1-17 smuggling; this business-driven anti-smuggling coalition allows 1-18 individual companies to set self-policing standards tailored to 1-19 their economic realities while serving the interests of trade and 1-20 national policies; and 1-21 WHEREAS, The Business Anti-Smuggling Coalition is endorsed by 1-22 the Border Trade Alliance as well as numerous border trade 1-23 organizations and will be initiated at a conference in Laredo on 1-24 April 8, 1997; the conference will bring together leaders in the 2-1 Texas import business to support this noble effort; and 2-2 WHEREAS, Cooperation between the government and the private 2-3 sector has a tremendous potential to create a barrier that could 2-4 eventually be impenetrable to the plague of drug smuggling 2-5 operations; now, therefore, be it 2-6 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 75th Texas 2-7 Legislature hereby support the Business Anti-Smuggling Coalition 2-8 and commend the participants at the upcoming conference for their 2-9 initiative and efforts in working with the United States Customs 2-10 Service to attack the problem of drug smuggling through innovative, 2-11 practical, and mutually beneficial methods.