US law enforcement agencies have uncovered a huge drug smuggling tunnel – the length of six football fields – running under the US-Mexico border on Friday.
The complex passage connects Tijuana, Mexico, with a warehouse in San Diego and includes a railroad, ventilation systems, electricity and reinforced walls, according to authorities. The tunnel was 1,744 feet long, about a third of a mile, and was 61 feet deep, about six stories high.
Law enforcement is not sure how long the tunnel has been operating, but has seized nearly 2,000 pounds of cocaine, 165 pounds of methamphetamine and 3.5 pounds of heroin in connection with the investigation, valued at about $ 25 million.
Read more: US holds first UFO hearing in more than 50 years – “Potential threat to national security”
The story continues under the ad
Six Californians, aged 31 to 55, have been arrested and charged with conspiracy to distribute cocaine. If convicted, they face up to life in prison and a fine of up to $ 1 million.
Over the past two decades, more than a dozen well-equipped tunnels have been discovered in the Otai Mesa border area of San Diego, where this newest tunnel was discovered.
This area is one of the most fortified parts of the border, illustrating the limitations of Donald Trump’s border wall.
Read more: Amber Heard is back on the grill for the 2nd day by Johnny Depp’s lawyers
U.S. law enforcement has discovered the massive tunnel after investigating a nearby home used to hide drugs. Officials began to stop traffic on vehicles that were in the house and found that they were also connected to a warehouse called Amistad Park, according to a federal criminal complaint.
Popular stories
-
Ukraine will evacuate the remaining troops from Mariupol, relinquishing control of the besieged city
-
Canadian Supreme Court says voluntary extreme intoxication is protection against violent crime
“For several hours, agents watched five vehicles come and go from the hideout and this warehouse, we claim that the defendants drove into the garage and loaded or left cardboard boxes full of drugs to continue the movement or distribution of drugs. drugs in the United States, federal agents monitored all the time, “US Attorney Randy Grossman told ABC affiliate KGTV.
The story continues under the ad
Authorities raided the property and found the opening of a tunnel carved into the warehouse’s cement floor.
A law enforcement officer stands until the opening of a cross-border tunnel on Monday, May 16, 2022 between Tijuana in Mexico and the San Diego region. Pictures of Elliott Spaghetti / AP
“There’s no more light at the end of this drug tunnel,” said Randy Grossman, a U.S. attorney for the Southern District of California. “We will eliminate any underground smuggling routes we find to prevent illegal drugs from reaching our streets and destroying our families and communities.
Under federal law, U.S. authorities must fill the U.S. side of the tunnels with concrete once they are discovered.
The type of drug confiscated may signal a shift from the multi-ton cannabis cargo that is often found in discoveries before California legalizes the entertainment pot in 2019.
2:51 Can a wall between the United States and Mexico lead to an expanded network of drug tunnels? Previous video Next video
The story continues under the ad
Solid drugs, such as heroin, methamphetamine and fentanyl, are usually smuggled through official Mexican border crossings, as their small size and lack of odor make them difficult to detect. But the tunnels give smugglers the advantage of being able to carry huge loads at lightning speed.
These cross-border crossings date back to the early 1990s, and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration said in 2020 that they are usually located in California and Arizona and are linked to the Mexican Sinaloa cartel.
– With files from the Associated Press
© 2022 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
Add Comment