CONGRESS ACCEPTED PRESIDENT NIXON'S PLAN TO COMBINE THE VARIOUS FEDERAL DRUG ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES AND CREATED THE DEA UNDER THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT IN JULY 1973. THE DEA CURRENTLY HAS ABOUT 2,000 AGENTS IN THE U.S. AND 41 IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. IN 1977 A PROPOSAL TO MERGE THE DEA WITH THE FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION WAS PUT FORTH, BUT THE DEA WAS OPPOSED TO THE MERGER AND THE IDEA WAS DROPPED. DEA TASK FORCES ARE NOW OPERATING IN 23 CITIES, AND THE DEGREE OF CONTACT AND COOPERATION BETWEEN THE DEA AND LOCAL AGENCIES VARIES. THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT CLAIMS THAT THERE ARE 400,000 HEROIN ADDICTS IN THE U.S. ALONG WITH 1.5 MILLION CASUAL USERS. THE DEA ESTIMATES THAT 10 PERCENT OF THE 6 TO 11 TONS OF HEROIN ENTERING THE U.S. EACH YEAR IS SEIZED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT PERSONNEL. THE HERRERA FAMILY ORIGINALLY FROM MEXICO AND NOW WITH BRANCHES ALSO THROUGHOUT THE U.S., IS RESPONSIBLE FOR MUCH OF THIS TRAFFIC. DEA SUCCESS DEPENDS LARGELY ON COOPERATION WITH THE MEXICAN GOVERNMENT, BUT THIS COOPERATION IS SPORADIC (PERHAPS BECAUSE HEROIN ADDICTION IS NOT A MAJOR PROBLEM IN MEXICO). DESPITE THE DIFFICULTIES, THE DEA HAS ENJOYED SEVERAL RECENT SUCCESSES AGAINST THE HERRERAS BOTH IN THE U.S. AND IN MEXICO. DRUG TRAFFICKING IS A $44-BILLION A YEAR BUSINESS IN THE U.S., AND THE DEA HAS GIVEN PRIORITY TO STOPPING MAJOR TRAFFICKERS. IT EVALUATES ITS PERFORMANCE ON THE BASIS OF A PRICE-PURCHASE INDEX RATHER THAN ON THE NUMBER OF ARRESTS. IF THE PRICE OF HERION GOES UP AND THE PURITY GOES DOWN DUE TO THE ARRESTS OF MAJOR TRAFFICKERS, THEN THE DEA IS MEETING ITS GOALS. BY THIS STANDARD, HERION TRAFFICKING IS ON THE DECLINE, BUT DRUG USE IS NEVERTHELESS PROBABLY HERE TO STAY. A DESCRIPTION OF ONE DEA OFFICER AND HIS EFFORTS IS INTERSPERSED THROUGHOUT THE NARRATIVE. (KJM)