Latest news with #SectorTunnelTeam
USA Today
19 hours ago
- USA Today
'Drug smuggling' tunnel connecting Mexico to US discovered
Border patrol agents discovered an underground tunnel connecting a residence in Tijuana to the San Diego area, which authorities said was being built to smuggle narcotics across the border undetected. Agents assigned to the San Diego Sector Tunnel Team, part of the U.S. Border Patrol operation, found the "drug smuggling" tunnel while it was being actively constructed in early April, according to a June 18 news release from Customs and Border Protection. When they entered the tunnel, they discovered a "highly sophisticated" system with electrical wiring, lights and a track "designed for transporting large quantities of contraband," the release said. In total, the tunnel spanned 2,918 feet, or just over half a mile, and reached more than 1,000 feet into U.S. territory, the release said. It was about 42 inches in height, 28 inches in width and approximately 50 feet underground at its deepest point, officials said. Inside the tunnel were makeshift barricades and at its end point in the Nueva Tijuana neighborhood, Mexican authorities discovered the entrance had been recently tiled over. Photos shared by the agency show the inside of the tunnel with stone walls and a metal track system. One photo showed an agent crawling along the track on their stomach. "As we continue to strengthen the nation's air, and maritime border security, it's not surprising that foreign terrorist organizations would resort to underground routes,' Jeffrey D. Stalnaker, acting chief patrol agent of the San Diego Sector, said in the statement. "Disruption of narcotics smuggling tunnels is critical to protecting American lives." Trump and the fentanyl crisis: Will his plan work? Smuggling tunnels have been found before It's not the first time agents have discovered underground tunnels meant for smuggling contraband, according to CBP: Since 1995, authorities have found more than 95 tunnels in the San Diego area. This one will be filled with thousands of gallons of concrete, CBP said. In 2020, border patrol agents found what they described at the time as the longest of its kind ever discovered along the Southwest border, the Palm Springs Desert Sun, part of the USA TODAY Network, reported. It was 4,309 feet long, or over three-quarters of a mile, and connected Tijuana to the Otay Mesa warehouse district, CBP said. It had an elevator, an extensive track system and forced-air ventilation. The same year, agents seized 4,400 pounds of illicit drugs from another over 2,000-foot tunnel between Mexico and the San Diego area, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said at the time.
Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Daily Mirror
3,000ft cross-border tunnel used by 'terrorist' cartels discovered
The 3,000ft tunnel included lighting, a fully functional ventilation system and tracks to move contraband across the US-Mexico border amid a crackdown on drug trafficking A huge 3,000ft tunnel used for drug smuggling has been uncovered beneath the US-Mexico border. The "large-scale narcotics smuggling tunnel" linking Tijuana to the San Diego area extended more than 1,000ft inside the US, and described by Border Patrol agents as "highly sophisticated". It included lighting, a fully functional ventilation system and tracks to move contraband, and appears to be the latest attempt by organised criminals to maintain drug trafficking routes amid a tough crackdown at the 1,954-mile border. The US Border Patrol's San Diego Sector Tunnel Team raided the tunnel on Monday after becoming aware of it during its construction. They located the entrance point inside a home in the Nueva Tijuana neighbourhood of Tijuana and alerted Mexican authorities, who served a warrant at the location. Upon arrival, they found a tile had been laid at the entrance in an attempt to hide it from authorities. When officers made it inside the tunnel they encountered a set of "haphazard" barricades erected along the way, designed to prevent them from finding out where it ended up. Border Patrol agents eventually discovered it led to a commercial warehouse in Otay Mesa, California. The tunnel, which went about 50ft underground at its deepest point and was 2,918ft long, is now set for "immediate remediation" by the US Border Patrol. Contractors have been instructed to fill it in with thousands of gallons of concrete to prevent its use by what the US government describes as "Foreign Terrorist Organisations". Jeffrey D. Stalnaker, Acting Chief Patrol Agent of the Border Patrol's San Diego Sector, said: "As we continue to strengthen the nation's air, and maritime border security, it's not surprising that foreign terrorist organisations would resort to underground routes. "Disruption of narcotics smuggling tunnels is critical to protecting American lives. "I'm grateful for the exceptional work of the Tunnel Team agents who placed themselves in danger, as well as the cooperation of our Mexican law enforcement partners." The tunnel raid forms part of a hardline border and immigration policy encouraged by Donald Trump's White House, with the US president having signed an executive order just hours into his second term ordering a stop to the "invasion of the United States through the southern border". Yesterday, Trump ordered Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to resume raids on farms and hotels after employers complained that the "invasive" operations disrupting the industry and scaring off foreign-born workers. Tricia McLaughlin, the Department of Homeland Security assistant secretary, said: "The president has been incredibly clear. There will be no safe spaces for industries who harbour violent criminals or purposely try to undermine Ice's efforts."
