Latest news with #U.S.BorderPatrol
USA Today
5 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.
Miami Herald
17 hours ago
- Miami Herald
See nearly 3,000-foot-long drug tunnel found beneath US-Mexico border, feds say
An unfinished tunnel for 'large-scale narcotics smuggling' from Tijuana to San Diego under the U.S.-Mexico border has been uncovered, federal officials reported. The 'highly sophisticated' tunnel extended more than 1,000 feet into the United States, spanning 2,918 feet total, the U.S. Border Patrol said in a June 18 news release. Agents discovered the tunnel in April while it was still under construction beneath the Otay Mesa Port of Entry, the agency said. The tunnel appeared to be intended to end in or near a nearby commercial warehouse, agents said. 'The investigation revealed the tunnel was equipped with electrical wiring, lighting, ventilation systems, and a track system designed for transporting large quantities of contraband,' agents said in the release. On Monday, June 16, agents and Mexican authorities traced the other end of the tunnel to a house in Tijuana, where they found the entrance had been 'concealed by freshly laid tile.' The tunnel was 42 inches high and 28 inches wide, agents said. It ran as deep as 50 feet below ground. Contractors will pour concrete into the tunnel to seal it off, the agency said. More than 95 tunnels have been uncovered in the San Diego area since 1993, agents said.
American Military News
a day ago
- Politics
- American Military News
Zero illegal immigrants released into US by Trump admin in May
Under President Donald Trump, U.S. Border Patrol agents did not release any illegal immigrants into the United States in May, compared to 62,000 illegal immigrants released into the country last May under former President Joe Biden's administration. According to information obtained by The New York Post, zero illegal immigrants were released by Trump's Border Patrol in May, and only 8,725 migrants were apprehended while illegally crossing the southern border between the United States and Mexico. The outlet noted that the number of migrants apprehended by Border Patrol agents represented a 93% decrease from last May when 117,905 migrants were caught illegally crossing the southern border. In a Tuesday statement, the White House said the latest data from Border Patrol's operations marks the 'latest victory in President Donald J. Trump's relentless commitment to securing the homeland and a remarkable turnaround from the 62,000 illegals released into the country under the Biden Administration just one year ago.' The White House added, 'Promises made, promises kept.' In a statement to The New York Post, acting Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Pete Flores highlighted the Trump administration's strong border policies, such as ending the Biden administration's catch-and-release policies. 'Under the leadership of this administration, CBP has received historic support resulting in another 93% decrease in illegal crossings along the southwest border this month when compared with last year,' Flores said. READ MORE: US troops detain 'illegal aliens' in military zones along US-Mexico border Last week, National Border Patrol Council President Paul Perez told The New York Post that Border Patrol agents were close to achieving the agency's goal of establishing full 'operational control' of the southern border. 'Under the Biden administration, our agents were pulled off the line. We were doing all the processing, detaining, transporting and essentially baby-sitting, the border was wide open,' Perez told The New York Post. 'It was unsecured because we didn't have enough agents on the line to actually protect and deter. So now we've got the complete opposite. All of our agents are actually patrolling the border for the first time in many, many years.' In a Tuesday post on X, formerly Twitter, Tom Homan, Trump's border czar, said that the president's leadership has led to the 'most secure border' in American history. Homan noted that the Border Patrol only encountered 'a total of 95 illegal aliens across the entire southern border' in 24 hours, marking the lowest number of illegal immigrants encountered at the border in a single day. 'Compare that to the Biden Administration who surpassed more than 10,000 per day. On top of that, they released the vast majority into the US,' Homan tweeted. 'How many were released under Trump for May? Zero.'
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Border Patrol agents shut down massive drug smuggling tunnel between Tijuana and San Diego
U.S. Border Patrol agents recently discovered and disabled a nearly 3,000-foot-long narcotics smuggling tunnel sitting beneath the US-Mexico border. Agents found the tunnel — which linked Tijuana and San Diego — in early April while it was actively under construction. The underground passageway ran under part of the Otay Mesa Port of Entry and had a projected exit point near or inside a commercial warehouse space in San Diego, according to an announcement from U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Upon entering the "highly sophisticated" tunnel, authorities were met with barricades seemingly placed to prevent law enforcement from finding its entrance, the announcement noted. San Diego Authorities Arrest 3 Noncitizens Allegedly Involved In Transporting More Than $5M Worth Of Meth The tunnel — which reached depths of around 50 feet underground at its deepest point — measured 2,918 feet long, 42 inches tall and 28 inches wide. It was equipped with lighting, electrical wiring, ventilation systems and a track system for transporting large amounts of contraband. Read On The Fox News App Dot Sec Sean Duffy Finalizes $150M Grant To Build New Port Of Entry On Southern Border Border Patrol agents — working alongside Homeland Security Investigations and Government of Mexico authorities — found the entrance point to the tunnel on Monday inside a house in the Nueva Tijuana neighborhood in Tijuana. The entrance had recently been covered up with freshly laid tile, according to the announcement. Trump Admin's Dot Announces Deal For High-tech Border Checkpoint In Crucial California Sector Thousands of gallons of concrete will soon be poured into the tunnel to prevent it from being used by Foreign Terrorist Organizations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection noted. "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 a statement. "Disruption of narcotics smuggling tunnels is critical to protecting American lives." More than 95 tunnels have been decommissioned in the San Diego area since 1993. U.S. Customs and Border Protection did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for article source: Border Patrol agents shut down massive drug smuggling tunnel between Tijuana and San Diego
Fox News
2 days ago
- Politics
- Fox News
Border Patrol announces 'phenomenal' turnaround as number of monthly migrant releases drops to zero
New Border Patrol data shows not a single illegal migrant was released into the United States last month, signaling an overwhelming turnaround since 62,000 were released into the country under the Biden administration at the same time last year. "It's phenomenal," U.S. Border Patrol chief Michael Banks told Fox News Wednesday. "Anybody that cares about national security knows that, under the last administration, we were breaking record numbers of people that were coming into the country illegally and that were being released into the country… And to go from over 62,000 down to zero, we're breaking record numbers in the right direction now." Banks told "Fox & Friends" co-host Ainsley Earhardt that, while the Border Patrol is refraining from declaring victory on the issue, "we are fast approaching it." "We are closer to operational security of the border than we've ever had," he shared. "Two days ago, we broke another record – 141 entries at the southwest border. Those entries are all apprehended, and none of them will be released." Banks thanked President Donald Trump for supporting his agency and for providing its agents with the tools necessary to make communities – and the nation – safer. "We've said all along that the United States Border Patrol knows how to secure the border. We just need leadership, and with the leadership of President Trump and Secretary Noem, we are proving exactly what we've been saying for years: Let us enforce the laws, and we'll get the job done." "I think the American people are seeing that... And we're just getting started. We're not even close to being done."
