Thread: Cross-border tunnel found in Nogales

Posted Jan 22, 2015, 3:14 pm

Paul Ingram TucsonSentinel.com

Border Patrol agents discovered a cross-border tunnel in Nogales on Tuesday during a bi-national sweep, the first smuggling tunnel found there this year.

The 239-foot tunnel was found just west of the Dennis DeConcini Port of Entry during a routine patrol of the drainage system beneath Nogales by U.S. and Mexican officials.

The tunnel extended 221 feet into the United States, said Nicole Ballistrea, a spokeswoman for U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

"We found the tunnel during a sweep to make sure that the natural drainage systems aren't being used in an illicit manner," said Ballistrea. "During this sweep, agents came cross the opening."

The 16-by-16 inch opening was discovered in Mexico, but Ballistrea said the tunnel did not open into the United States.

Inside the tunnel, agents found power tools, vent hoses and electric cords, Ballistrea said.

The sweep was done by the Border Enforcement Security Task Force, which combines the efforts of several U.S. and Mexican agencies to detect and close tunnels beneath the city.

This includes U.S. Border Patrol, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations, as well as the FBI and the Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office, along with federal police in Mexico.

Border Patrol agents have been stationed at the site to make sure the tunnel is not completed, and the agency continues to patrol the warren of tunnels and drainage systems beneath the city, including the remediated sites of at least 101 tunnels found since 1990.

Last year, the agency found seven tunnels beneath the city, said Ballistrea.

In August 2014, Border Patrol agents found a similar tunnel approximately 100 yards west of the Port of Entry, and arrested one man.

http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/local/...found-nogales/

Originally Posted by Jean

In August 2014, Border Patrol agents found a similar tunnel approximately 100 yards west of the Port of Entry, and arrested one man.

The War on Drugs is a delusion. We tried Prohibition here at home. We tried interdiction in Columbia, and we are trying it again in Mexico. The result is always the same: rival drug gangs, massive official corruption, an undermining of democratic principles, and wasted lives when a lot of young people are arrested for mostly minor drug charges.

We need to treat other drugs the way we now treat alcohol: legalization, regulation, taxation, and education. Anything else is a delusion.
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Americans firs in this magnificent country

American jobs for American workers

Fair trade, not free trade

Originally Posted by vistalad

The War on Drugs is a delusion. We tried Prohibition here at home. We tried interdiction in Columbia, and we are trying it again in Mexico. The result is always the same: rival drug gangs, massive official corruption, an undermining of democratic principles, and wasted lives when a lot of young people are arrested for mostly minor drug charges.

We need to treat other drugs the way we now treat alcohol: legalization, regulation, taxation, and education. Anything else is a delusion.
**************************************
Americans firs in this magnificent country

American jobs for American workers

Fair trade, not free trade

Absolutely. I agree 100%.