Major U.S.-Mexico Drug Tunnel Discovered
The San Diego Tunnel Task Force continued examining evidence Wednesday found at an Otay Mesa warehouse, which housed the U.S. entrance to a 400-yard long drug-trafficking tunnel which ends in Tijuana, Mexico.
The multi-agency task force confirmed the tunnel's existence after obtaining a federal warrant to search the warehouse, which is located in the industrial park near the Otay Mesa Port of Entry.
The tunnel begins on the floor of the warehouse, plunging 20 feet down to the bottom of a shaft. The passageway measures approximately four feet by three feet, and features sophisticated elements like structural supports, electricity and ventilation.
The Task Force had been surveying the warehouse recently, following reports of suspicious activity.
Investigators collaborated with the California Highway Patrol Tuesday afternoon to pull over a small cargo truck seen leaving the facility. Officers found approximately three tons of marijuana in the truck. The driver and passenger, both male, were arrested and are facing federal drug charges.
Based on the traffic stop, investigators were able to obtain a search warrant, which led them to discover another 6.5 tons of marijuana inside the warehouse.
San Diego investigators contacted Mexican authorities who subsequently entered a Tijuana warehouse housing the Mexican entrance to the tunnel, where yet another five to six tons of marijuana were found.
"A key component of [the task force's] strategy is intelligence sharing between [U.S. Customs and Border Protection] and its law enforcement partners, including the government of Mexico," said Paul Beeson, chief patrol agent for the San Diego Border Patrol Sector. "This undoubtedly fosters a safer and more secure border environment that advances our goal to dismantle and defeat the transnational criminal organizations that threaten the safety of our country."
Other evidence found inside the Otay Mesa warehouse indicates that the tunnel was only recently completed.
"The drug cartels mistakenly believe they can elude detection by taking their contraband underground, but, again and again, we've been able to find these tunnels and shut them down," said Derek Benner from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations.
The San Diego Tunnel Task Force, formed in 2003, is a collaborative agency with representatives from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection Border Patrol, the Drug Enfocement Administration and the California Bureau of Narcotics Enforcement.
The task force uses state-of-the-art surveillance technology and "old-fashioned" detective work to keep track of drug tunnels. Investigators also rely heavily on tips from the public.
"Last night's operation again highlights the importance of collaborative efforts among our law enorcement partners along the southwest border," said Sara Simpson of the California Bureau of Narcotics Enforcement. "Our ability to pool resources and expertise to identify, investigate and dismantle sophisticated cross border tunnels sends a powerful message to criminal organizations involved in drug smuggling, human trafficking and other illegal activities."
In the last four years, more than 75 cross-border smuggling tunnels have been discovered, a majority of which connect in California and Arizona. The passageway discovered Tuesday is the sixth large-scale drug tunnel found in San Diego since 2006.
