American authorities have discovered and shut down what they deemed a major drug smuggling tunnel that ran underground from Mexico to a warehouse on U.S. soil.
The elaborate tunnel was used to sneak narcotics under the U.S.-Mexico border from Tijuana to San Diego and featured electricity, ventilation, a rail system and reinforced walls.
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The secret passage measured about 600 yards long. The area where the tunnel was found has hosted over a dozen similar tunnels in the last 20 years.
The investigation that uncovered the tunnel has already resulted in the seizure of nearly one ton of narcotics, including 1,762 pounds of cocaine. It has also resulted in six arrests with all six suspects charged with conspiring to distribute cocaine.
The tunnel managed to elude border patrol for so long thanks to its depth: It was only about 4 feet in diameter but about six stories underground.
“There is no more light at the end of this narco-tunnel,” said Randy Grossman, U.S. attorney for the Southern District of California. “We will take down every subterranean smuggling route we find to keep illicit drugs from reaching our streets and destroying our families and communities.”
Authorities did not comment when asked about whether the tunnel was linked to any specific Mexican drug cartel.
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