Federal agents seized more than 328,000 pounds of drugs along the border with Mexico over the past fiscal year, with an approximate street value of $244 million.

United States Bureau of Customs and Border Protection and Bureau of Customs and Immigration Enforcement agents seized more than 322,000 pounds of marijuana and 1,300 pounds of methamphetamine during the 2003 fiscal year.

The 2003 fiscal year began in October 2002 and ended Sept. 30, 2003.

During the previous fiscal year, agents seized 215,802 pounds of marijuana and 398 pounds of methamphetamine.

Cocaine seizures fell slightly, from 5,675 pounds in fiscal year 2002 to 3,935 pounds in fiscal year 2003. Heroin seizures remained at five pounds during the past two fiscal years.

Agents also seized $10.8 million in currency, a dramatic decrease over the last fiscal year's total of $49.6 million.

Customs agents not only seize drugs, drug profit money and undeclared currency, but are also responsible for identifying and seizing fraudulent documents and illegal plant and food items crossing the international border.

Arizona Customs agents seized 3,827 fraudulent documents and deported 5,818 people who were inspected by the agency and found to be not admissible to the United States, according to Customs statistics.

Agents seized 64,732 illegal plant and food items, up from 52,602 the previous fiscal year.

Seizures made by United States Border Patrol agents were not included in the totals, as that agency was moved under Customs and Border Protection in March.

Nationwide figures

Nationwide, Customs reported 13,400 narcotics seizures with an approximate value of over $9.5 billion, including 10,482 marijuana seizures, 1,800 cocaine seizures, 772 heroin seizures and 375 methamphetamine seizures.

Customs agents across the United States also made 1,337 seizures of currency, valued at over $51 million.

Border Patrol stats

Nationwide Border Patrol figures for fiscal year 2003 were reported separately. These statistics included 931,557 illegal immigrants apprehended, 1.3 million pounds of marijuana seized and 14,892 pounds of cocaine seized by Border Patrol agents.

Customs and Border Protection was named an official agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security in March. The agency combined employees from the United States Department of Agriculture, Immigration and Naturalization Service, Border Patrol and Customs into one agency.

Customs and Border Protection employs 41,000 people across the United States.