Longest drug trafficking tunnel found between Mexico and United States
Fri Apr 22, 2016 08:36:am World
2.5K By sosa hills
US authorities have uncovered what they believe to be the longest ever cross-border drug trafficking tunnel connecting Mexico and California, a statement said.
Six people were arrested as authorities in San Diego moved on Monday and Tuesday to shut down the tunnel, the 13th underground passageway discovered along California's border with Mexico since 2006.
Estimated to span more than 800 yards (730 meters), it contains an elevator, as well as lights and rail and ventilation systems, the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of California said Wednesday.
The 870-yard-long tunnel, one of the narrowest found in the region, also yielded an unprecedented cache of drugs.
"This is the largest cocaine seizure ever associated with a tunnel," said Laura Duffy, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of California.
Inside the tunnel, federal agents found 68 bales of marijuana weighing 1,638 pounds (743 kilograms), with another 1,430 pounds hidden in the dumpster.
Overall, authorities seized more than 14,000 pounds of marijuana and 2,242 pounds of cocaine during the probe, which resulted in six arrests in San Diego on Friday.
"They put the drugs in the dumpster and then hauled the dumpster to another location to unload it," Duffy said. Federal agents followed a truck that carted the dumpster to a central San Diego spot about 25 miles north of the border and watched as the cargo was loaded onto a box truck, which drove away.
San Diego County sheriff's deputies who stopped the truck seized 2,242 pounds of cocaine and 11,030 pounds of marijuana, and arrested three men, Duffy said. Federal agents searching the pallet lot and the tunnel recovered an additional 3,000-plus pounds of marijuana and arrested three more suspects, she said.
The suspects were all jailed on various drug-trafficking conspiracy charges.
Federal agents who patrol the Otay Mesa area immediately north of the border began watching the pallet company, its yard stacked with grimy, wood-frame racks, in October, Duffy said.
"The investigation began with an astute border patrol agent who identified this business as suspicious," Duffy said. "They began monitoring this location and saw the people here conducting dry runs."
Six people were arrested as authorities in San Diego moved on Monday and Tuesday to shut down the tunnel, the 13th underground passageway discovered along California's border with Mexico since 2006.
Estimated to span more than 800 yards (730 meters), it contains an elevator, as well as lights and rail and ventilation systems, the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of California said Wednesday.
The 870-yard-long tunnel, one of the narrowest found in the region, also yielded an unprecedented cache of drugs.
"This is the largest cocaine seizure ever associated with a tunnel," said Laura Duffy, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of California.
Inside the tunnel, federal agents found 68 bales of marijuana weighing 1,638 pounds (743 kilograms), with another 1,430 pounds hidden in the dumpster.
Overall, authorities seized more than 14,000 pounds of marijuana and 2,242 pounds of cocaine during the probe, which resulted in six arrests in San Diego on Friday.
"They put the drugs in the dumpster and then hauled the dumpster to another location to unload it," Duffy said. Federal agents followed a truck that carted the dumpster to a central San Diego spot about 25 miles north of the border and watched as the cargo was loaded onto a box truck, which drove away.
San Diego County sheriff's deputies who stopped the truck seized 2,242 pounds of cocaine and 11,030 pounds of marijuana, and arrested three men, Duffy said. Federal agents searching the pallet lot and the tunnel recovered an additional 3,000-plus pounds of marijuana and arrested three more suspects, she said.
The suspects were all jailed on various drug-trafficking conspiracy charges.
Federal agents who patrol the Otay Mesa area immediately north of the border began watching the pallet company, its yard stacked with grimy, wood-frame racks, in October, Duffy said.
"The investigation began with an astute border patrol agent who identified this business as suspicious," Duffy said. "They began monitoring this location and saw the people here conducting dry runs."
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