RANGER ACTIVITIES DIVISION
                           MORNING REPORT

Attention: Directorate
           Regional and Park Chief Rangers, USPP, BIFC, FLETC
           Ranger Activities Division Information Network

Day/Date:  Friday, April 16, 1993

Broadcast: By 0830 ET

INCIDENTS

93-186 - Lake Mead (Nevada) - Special Events

Preparations for possible incidents at Lake Mead associated with the verdict
in the Rodney King case began on Friday, April 9th, with the arrival of a
ten-member Western Region special events team.  In addition to augmenting
park patrols, team members will assist the Lake Mead staff in providing law
enforcement support to Boulder City.  Backup support also will be provided
for Lake Mead rangers who will staff structural fire trucks in the event of
civil disturbances in Las Vegas.  Two other ten-member Western Region teams
are on six-hour standby - one comprised of rangers, the other of Park Police
officers.  Las Vegas was the scene of major unrest following the earlier
trial, and police intelligence indicates that another siege can be expected. 
Intelligence recently received from San Diego police indicates that gangs
plan on travelling by caravan to Las Vegas to create trouble following the
issuance of the verdict.  On April 14th, the park received a mutual aid
request from Boulder City Police Department to augment its night patrol
operation.  Rangers have accordingly teamed up with Boulder City officers in
their patrol cars.  The park is also expecting impacts from a large
motorcycle rally named "Hog Heaven II," which is being sponsored in
Laughlin, Nevada, at the southern end of the park.  The rally began
yesterday and will continue through the 18th.  Event organizers anticipate
over 20,000 participants, including motorcycle enthusiasts and spectators. 
Gang members and their associates are expected to make up the largest
number.  Organizers arranged use of a county-administered park within Lake
Mead's boundaries to provide camping space for the group.  They also have
arranged for various vendors and activities, including musical
entertainment, games, events, and tatoo parlors.  Different motorcycle clubs
have reserved floors of rooms in the various Laughlin hotels and casinos
(one group alone reserved 400 rooms in one property).  Hotels are charging
$1,000 per room cash deposit.  Reports are that California Highway 62
between Palm Springs and Needles is bumper-to-bumper with motorcycles
heading east towards Laughlin.  Campgrounds at Katherine are nearly filled. 
Because many Metro Las Vegas officers have been reassigned to the city,
there will be no jail facilities in the Laughlin area during the weekend;
park personnel will therefore have to transport any prisoners from the
southern end of the park to Las Vegas, a four hour round-trip.  A planning
meeting of cooperating law enforcement agencies was held yesterday in
Bullhead City, Arizona - located across the river from Laughlin, Nevada - in
preparation for the motorcycle rally.  Incident commander Paul Henry
attended along with the park's assistant chief ranger, criminal investigator
and Park Police officer.  Weekend plans are to cover both of the major
visitor-use areas of the park.  Four SET members will be assigned to
Katherine Landing in the southern end of the park during the rally, leaving
six members to augment the staff in the North Shore area.  Las Vegas Metro
police have also asked the park to help patrol the county-administered park
within Lake Mead.  [Capt. Mike O'Neal, RAD/WRO-SET commander, daily reports,
4/9-4/16]

93-187 - Padre Island (Texas) - Drug Seizure

During an interagency drug operation in the park on April 9th, a ranger
retrieved a large orange duffle bag from the surf.  It contained elaborately
wrapped and sealed waterproof packages which held 40 kilograms of pure
cocaine with a street value of $6 million.  Initial investigation indicates
that the cocaine was only in the water a short period of time, and that it
may be linked to one of two known drug smugglers who were in the area at the
time.  [T.L. McDaniel, CR, PAIS, 4/15]

93-188 - Lake Mead (Nevada) - Human Remains Discovered

Bones believed to be human were discovered along the Christmas Tree Pass
Road on April 15th.  A joint investigation between Las Vegas Metro police
and park personnel is underway.  Christmas Tree Pass Road is an unpaved road
located on the Nevada side of Lake Mohave within the Katherine District of
the recreation area. [Karen Whitney, LAME, 4/15]

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

No field reports today.

STAFF STATUS

Division Chief: No leave or travel scheduled.

Branch of Resource and Visitor Protection: Smith at managerial grid training
course (4/11-4/16).

Branch of Fire and Aviation: Gale and Broyles at managerial grid training
course (4/11-4/17); Clark at national fire weather group meeting (4/13-
4/16); Spruill at workshop (4/12-4/16).

Prepared by WASO Division of Ranger Activities

Telephone: Branch of R&VP - 202-208-4874
           Branch of F&A (WASO) - 202-208-5572
Telefax:   Branch of R&VP - 202-208-6756
           Branch of F&A (WASO) - 202-208-5977
cc:Mail:   Branch of R&VP - WASO Ranger Activities
           Branch of F&A (WASO) - WASO Fire and Aviation