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Approved For Release 2000/08/07 : CIA-RDP96-00788R000100330001-5 LOS ANGELES TIMES U.S.-Mexico Border Won’t Be Terrorists’ Escape Route By MARJORIE MILLER, Times Staff Writer SAN YSIDRO, Calif.—Mexican and American officials are increasing law enforcement activities along the U.S.-Mexico border in an effort to ensure that it does het become a gateway for terrorists planning an attack.on the Olympic Games. - On the Mexican side, Tijuana police have revampeda plan to seal off that city in the event a terrorist should attempt to flee south after an attack. Security agepts have asked the Baja California state attorney general for permission to videotape all airport arrivals and*‘to review daily the names and nationalities of people staying in Tijuana hotels. . * On the U.S. side, Immigration and Naturalization Service agents and San Diego police have intensifi¢d training on terrorism and are paying closer attention. to the origin and travel routes of foreigners detained for entering the country illegally. ery On both sides of the border, police agencies are trying to improve binational communications, setting up a hot line between the San Diego and Tijuana police depart; ments and installing two-way radios between the Tijuana Police Department and the immigration service. 4 ‘Intend to Be Prepared’ : “We have no evidence of any problems. We anticipate no problems, but we intend to be prepared,” said San Diego Police Cmdr. Mike Rice, who is heading the Olympic security operation in San Diego. a “we are looking into everything out of the ordinary,” a San Diego police officer working on the binational security effort concurred. we ‘That means investigating talk of 1,000 Iranians who were supposedly training south of Ensenada, word that a Puerto Rican independence fighter was headed for ‘Tijuana and other such tips that arrive at police headquarters via anonymous telephone calls and letters; ‘None of those tips so far has proven valid, but the intensified scrutiny has resulted in confiscation of some firearms headed into Mexico. ye ‘World’s Busiest Crossing Trying to head off terrorists who might want to maké use of the border here is an ambitious undertaking. Even on the calm days, the border is a maelstront’ of activity. Every month, 3 million people pass through thé San Ysidro Port of Entry, the busiest internatiofial border crossing in the world. SPECIAL EDITION -- TERRORISM -- 26 JUNE 1984 10 June 1984 Pg. 3 ‘Thousands of others illegally cross the 8-mile-long border between San Diego and Tijuana. They pass through beaches, barbed wire, rugged hills and canyofis, and many, if not most, are undetected by immigrati af agents. “Our concern is that a terrorist group will use gut. border to cross into the United States,” said Robé1 Sanchez Osorio, a security consultant to the Tijuaria Police Department. “There is a big concern too abou what may happen if a terrorist group tries to use our order asa door to escape, maybe with hostages.” * Under Mexican law, Sanchez Osorio said, it is a federat crime to enter Mexico after committing a crime; in another country. So, if someone attacks the Games. tn “Los Angeles and flees to Mexico, the problem becomes “the responsibility of Mexican federal police. U.S. police agencies, of course, may not operate in Mexico. “Should terrorists head for the border, Mexican * customs agents would immediately begin to halt traffic at the border, so it would back up into the United States. Tijuana police say they could have all highway exits from the city sealed within three minutes of notification, ang. then could blanket the hillside slums, downtown streets and beaches with patrols. . _<City and state police each will have an additional 15 patrol cars and 25 to 30 officers this summer who could be.used for such an emergency operation. ; . But Sanchez Osorio noted that Tijuana is not a very goad escape route for a criminal because, “there is only vone-road out to Mexicali (east). To the south, past .Engenada, it goes into the desert and vou don’t want to escape through the desert.” Collaboration is nothing new on the border, where San Diego police have maintained communication jines to Mexico for the last 50 years. The San Diego Police Department, Sheriff's Department and California Highway Patrol all have liaison officers who make daily or weekly trips across the border to trade information with Mexican police on everything from stolen cars to fugitives. So, much of the Olympic planning boils down to strengthening these relationships and working together more closely-such as trading telephone numbers they never got around to exchanging before. More formally, the agencies plan to install a direct line between the San Diego intelligence unit and the Tijuana Police Department, which will serve as a command center for local, state and federal police in Mexico during the Games. To complete the communications chain, San Diego police and sheriff's deputies will have a security post at Fairbanks Ranch, where one equestrian event is scheduled, and representatives in Los Angeles at the Olympics security coordinating center. The Olympic security plan submitted to the Baja California state attorney general calls for increased surveillance along the south and eastern borders of the State and at bus stations, according to Sanchez Osorio. He said the attorney general has not made a decision yet on the plan. ; ‘The plan recommends that police take greater notice of the hotel guest lists that now are routinely submitted to them each day. The lists show the names, nationali- ties and previous destination of the guests. Security Tightened Police and customs officials say inspections already CONTINUED NEXT PAGE Approved For Release 2000/08/07 : CIA-RDP96-00788R000100330001-5