Drug Smuggling Tunnel Recovered, Connects Mexico To US

Border Patrol agents in the San Diego Sector Tunnel Team uncovered a partially constructed tunnel in April, connecting a home in Tijuana to U.S. territory. According to a June 18 Customs and Border Protection (CBP) release, the tunnel was being built to move narcotics undetected across the U.S.-Mexico border. Officers found it while it was under active construction. The tunnel extended 2,918 feet—just over half a mile—and reached more than 1,000 feet into U.S. land.

Officials Describe Tunnel As “Highly Sophisticated”

CBP said the tunnel measured approximately 42 inches high and 28 inches wide, and ran around 50 feet below ground at its deepest point. Inside, agents found electrical wiring, lighting, and a metal track system “designed for transporting large quantities of contraband.” Photographs released by the agency revealed barricades, stone walls, and a tiled-over entry point in Nueva Tijuana, discovered by Mexican officials. One image captured a Border Patrol agent crawling along the narrow track.

Jeffrey D. Stalnaker, acting chief patrol agent of the San Diego Sector, said in the statement, “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.” He emphasized the importance of disrupting tunnel operations to prevent narcotics from entering the U.S. CBP announced that it will fill the tunnel with thousands of gallons of concrete to disable it permanently.

CBP has recorded over 95 tunnel discoveries in the San Diego area since 1995. In 2020, agents uncovered a 4,309-foot tunnel with elevators and ventilation running from Tijuana to Otay Mesa. That same year, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement seized 4,400 pounds of illicit drugs from another 2,000-foot tunnel in the area. These discoveries highlight the ongoing challenge of stopping underground smuggling routes between Mexico and the U.S.

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