Law enforcement officials learned new methods to detect illegal material being transported on Wisconsin highways in a program that began Monday and ends today.

Eighty-eight officers from five different states —Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, New York and Wisconsin — participated in a four-day program called Desert Snow in West Bend, Wis. The traveling program teaches officers techniques for identifying potential terrorists and exposes them to the different measures criminals take to hide drugs and weapons in their vehicles.

"State troopers and other law enforcement absolutely see terrorist activity," said Joe David, the program's founder. "That's why it is absolutely imperative that they have this training. If they haven't been exposed to it, they can't identify it when they see it."

According to David, highway officials are the first line of defense against terrorists and drug smugglers.

The United States Drug Enforcement Administration estimates that 40 percent of drug arrests across the country begin with routine traffic stops.

In Wisconsin, there are 350,000 traffic stops every year.A