Major drug tunnel found on U.S.-Mexican border!
On Wednesday, U.S. and Mexican authorities, in nearly simultaneous police sting operations, seized 12 tons of marijuana and arrested 22 people after they discovered one of the LONGEST cross-border tunnels ever constructed by drug smugglers. Six arrests were made in San Diego, California (my image above), and 16 arrests were made in Tijuana, Mexico, no shots were fired. The tunnel, which connected warehouses on each side of the border, was about 2,600 feet (800 meters) long and 30 feet deep. The tunnel was lit, ventilated, and equipped with a rail car system. Two tons of marijuana were confiscated on the U.S. side and 10 tons on the Mexican side. No drugs moved through undetected. SFGate.com says:
The sting came after an undercover agent for U.S. Homeland Security Investigations agreed to provide the drug smugglers with drivers and use of a warehouse in exchange for a $10,000 payment for each truckload of drugs moved, according to a probable cause statement.
In spite of the time and effort required to dig tunnels, they still appeal to drug smugglers. Dozens of tunnels have been found along the U.S.-Mexico border in recent years, and some of them have been equipped with hydraulic lifts and electric rail cars.
“We see a super tunnel open for business once every year or so,” said U.S. Attorney Laura Duffy. “Just when they think they’re ready to move, we put it out of business. We continue to make good on our promise to relentlessly pursue and shut down any tunnel as soon as it opens.”
It was unclear which drug trafficking organization orchestrated the latest passage but the region is largely controlled by Mexico’s Sinaloa cartel, whose leader Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman escaped from a maximum-security prison in Mexico in July through an elaborate tunnel.
Mexican federal police said in a news release that those arrested on suspicion of drug trafficking told authorities that they had ties to a criminal group that operates in the state of Jalisco — an apparent reference to the Jalisco New Generation cartel, which controls that part of western Mexico.
Isaias Enriquez, 53, and Isidro Silva, 27, both of Tijuana, were charged with conspiracy in U.S. federal court. Four others were to be charged in state court.
-Bill at
Cheshire Cat Photo™ – “Your Guide to California’s Wonderland™”
You can view higher-resolution photos at the Cheshire Cat Photo Gallery on SmugMug, where you can also order prints in a HUGE variety of sizes and types, even on canvas and metal! The Cheshire Cat Photo Store on Zazzle® contains a wide variety of apparel and gifts decorated with our images of California. All locations are accessible from here. LIKE Cheshire Cat Photo on Facebook here! If you don’t see what you want or would be on our email list for updates, send us an email at info@cheshirecatphoto.com. Follow us on Twitter at @cheshirkat and on Instagram at: cheshirkat
