In a major breakthrough, agents from the San Diego Sector of U.S. Border Patrol have discovered a massive, incomplete tunnel stretching over 2,918 feet across the border between San Diego and Tijuana, Mexico.
According to officials, the tunnel was actively under construction when it was uncovered by agents with the San Diego Sector Tunnel Team in early April. Preliminary indications suggest that the entrance point was located near or within a commercial warehouse space on Otay Mesa Port of Entry.
The investigation revealed that the tunnel was equipped with sophisticated infrastructure, including electrical wiring, lighting, ventilation systems, and a track system designed to facilitate the transport of large quantities of contraband. Agents also encountered multiple makeshift barricades placed by tunnel workers to impede their progress and conceal the tunnel’s origin.
Measuring 2,918 feet in total length when mapped out, the tunnel stood at approximately 42 inches high and 28 inches wide, running around 50 feet underground at its deepest point.
Border Patrol agents, working alongside Homeland Security Investigations and Mexican authorities, were able to locate the tunnel’s entrance inside a home in the Nueva Tijuana neighborhood. When Mexican authorities served a warrant on the property, they discovered the entrance concealed with freshly laid tiles.
To prevent further illicit activity, contractors will pour thousands of gallons of concrete into the tunnel as part of immediate remediation efforts.
“This discovery highlights the continued threat posed by foreign terrorist organizations and narcotics smugglers who seek to exploit vulnerabilities in our nation’s border security,” said Jeffrey D. Stalnaker, Acting Chief Patrol Agent of the San Diego Sector. “Disruption of smuggling tunnels is crucial to protecting American lives, and I’m grateful for the exceptional work of our Tunnel Team agents and their Mexican law enforcement partners.”
This discovery marks yet another significant find in the San Diego area, where over 95 tunnels have been discovered and decommissioned since 1993.
The U.S. Border Patrol urges anyone with information about suspicious activity to report it by contacting 911 or the San Diego Sector at (619) 498-9900.
Source: CBS
