U.S. Border Patrol agents have located and disabled a large, unfinished drug smuggling tunnel stretching from Tijuana into Otay Mesa.
The tunnel extended more than 1,000 feet into U.S. territory and included lighting, ventilation, electrical wiring and a rail system.
Agents with the San Diego Sector Tunnel Team discovered the tunnel in early April while it was still under construction. It ran beneath part of the Otay Mesa Port of Entry and appeared to be headed toward a commercial warehouse area. Inside, agents found makeshift barricades intended to slow their progress.
It measured 2,918 feet in total length, 42 inches high and 28 inches wide. At its deepest point. It ran about 50 feet underground.
On Monday, U.S. authorities worked with Homeland Security Investigations and Mexican officials to locate the starting point. The entrance was found inside a home in the Nueva Tijuana neighborhood, concealed beneath newly installed tile.
“This tunnel shows the continued efforts of criminal organizations to use underground routes for smuggling,” said Jeffrey D. Stalnaker, acting chief patrol agent for the San Diego Sector. “I commend our Tunnel Team and our partners in Mexico for their work.”
More than 95 tunnels have been found and shut down in the San Diego area since 1993. The latest one is scheduled to be filled with concrete to prevent future use.
To report suspicious activity, contact 911 or call the Border Patrol San Diego Sector at (619) 498-9900.
