El Paso, Texas. – According to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the number of arrests from people trying to enter illegally into the U.S. has fallen 50% in the last four years, and 78% from their peak recorded back in the fiscal year 2000.

However, according to the data released by CBP, in fiscal year 2012 (which ended in September 30th), arrests had increased by 7% from the previous year. Out of everyone that was arrested, 7,700 were wanted for serious crimes such as murder, rape, robbery and theft. According to CBP, most of the arrests occurred at the Arizona border (124,631) and Texas (172,335).

In the past fiscal year, Border Patrol Officers inspected more than 350 million passengers who wanted to enter the U.S. and processed $2.3 trillion in goods, 5% more than the previous year. The amount of seized goods was 1.2 million dollars’ worth, up 14%. Also seized were 2,177 tons of narcotics ($4.2 million worth) and more than $100 million in cash.

Doug Mosier, spokesman for the Border Patrol in El Paso, Texas, revealed in a press conference that only in this area, including the Southwest part of Texas and New Mexico, CBP personnel seized nearly 100 tons of drugs and processed more than 26 million petitions for legal access into the country.

Among the drugs that were seized in El Paso are 88 tons of marijuana, 688 pounds of cocaine, 60 pounds of heroin and 87 pounds of methamphetamine.

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