Drug trade--the money: US sees cash smuggling as critical in drug trafficking fight; experts doubt results are enough

AP/Washington Post: "U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement reported more than $150 million in seized cash and 428 arrests in bulk cash smuggling investigations in fiscal year 2011, up from $7.3 million and 48 in fiscal year 2005. But experts say measuring the impact of the beefed-up focus is tricky.

It’s hard to track cash’s origin and destination... Plus, the amount seized represents a fraction of the total money at stake. Estimates cited by federal authorities suggest at least $18 billion in illicit proceeds is smuggled across the southwestern border each year. "