California 12 arrested after authorities discover tunnel from Mexico into San Diego

(I found the comments at the end of this article very interesting. What do you think? Desert Cactus)

L.A. NOW Southern

December 2, 2009 | 3:06 pm

Mexican authorities discovered a large cross-border tunnel today and arrested more than a dozen men inside the passageway that extended about 860 feet into San Diego, U.S. authorities said.

The tunnel, which was not complete, featured lighting, electrical and ventilation systems, and an elevator to move materials and workers to depths reaching 100 feet, authorities said. They estimate it was under construction for about two years in a warehouse district just west of the Otay Mesa Port of Entry.

Mexican authorities in Tijuana were acting on information provided by the San Diego Tunnel Task Force, which includes agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Drug Enforcement Administration.

It was the latest in a series of tunnel discoveries in recent weeks under the California-Mexico border. The passageways are used by Mexican organized crime groups to ferry drugs into the U.S.

-- Richard Marosi in San Diego

Photo: tunnel entrance. Credit: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Comments (20)

Posted by: jonny | December 02, 2009 at 03:47 PM

To the Border Patrol Agents, Thank You Please keep up the good fight. The invasion continues and the citizens of California do appreciate your efforts to curb the onslaught
of drugs, guns and human trafficing.

Posted by: D L | December 02, 2009 at 04:47 PM

An elevator...WOW. They should put land mines in the tunnel to really punish the terrorists.

Posted by: Halo1 | December 02, 2009 at 04:55 PM

DL--actually the guns are going the other way, from the U.S. into Mexico.

Posted by: Ruth | December 02, 2009 at 05:14 PM

What about all those Canadian tunnels?

Posted by: El Guapo de la cuidad de Los Angeles | December 02, 2009 at 05:18 PM

thats awesome. an elevator and 100 feet deep? all the effort put into it, they should let them keep it

Posted by: common_sense | December 02, 2009 at 05:47 PM

Oddly, the tunnel was used only by American tourists wanting to avoid the day long lines to cross the border...

Posted by: roninkai | December 02, 2009 at 05:50 PM

Dear Border Patrol Agents , Yes , yes thank you , we do appreciate you cutting the flow of drugs that U.S. Citizens use and demand (as in supply and demand ) the import and export of illegal guns sold on our streets due to lax gun control ( big thanks NRA ! ) , and the human trafficking of people that will pick the fields of the food we eat for meager wages ! thanks Border Patrol ! Until we find a better solution , THANKS !

Posted by: haha funny ! | December 02, 2009 at 05:51 PM

In the past, most raids or 'jesters' that the Mexican police have performed that were as drug arrests on high profile drug czar's were previous to a US state visit or some reason that they might use as a bargining chip. The mexican law inforcements are corrupted, don't care and would of had performed survailance on our borders a long ago if they cared. Do they really need our assistance to keep illegal tunnels from being fabricated from their end?
On another note, I heard the Mexican immigrants sent back home $1 billion less money this year as compared to 2008. Its in the mexican's best interest to allow these type of activities to take place.

Posted by: J in Phx | December 02, 2009 at 06:00 PM

When will this madness end?....

Posted by: new2you | December 02, 2009 at 06:01 PM

Correction DL, the guns are supplied to Mexico by America.

Posted by: gp | December 02, 2009 at 07:01 PM

Is Al-Qaida behind this?

Posted by: John | December 02, 2009 at 07:29 PM

A lot of hateful comments here! Disappointing once again!

Posted by: Socprof | December 02, 2009 at 10:13 PM

Wow, Thank-You to our men and women of San Diego task force!. Your great work helped prevent the continous on slaught of illegal drugs, sex slavery, terrorist and illegal immigration in our United States of America. Your a great credit to Californians everywhere. I only wish the Democratic Congressman and Senators would authorize double layer fencing on our Southern borders and quit withdrawing money from our border fencing.

Posted by: Juan Hernandez | December 02, 2009 at 10:36 PM

HA HA! What a waste of labor, eh? Seriously, when will we start seeing huge sinkholes open up under traffic in that area from all the tunnels that have been dug over the years and which compromise the structural integrity of streets, buildings, etc.?

Posted by: Tara | December 03, 2009 at 12:00 AM

Invasion? Terrorists? C'mon folks. Lets not be so dramatic here. This is a tunnel (one of many) that was going to be used to ferry drugs into the US. If we want this to stop then we must address the domestic demand for drugs - otherwise, this cat-and-mouse game will simply continue. It's about money... and there's lots of it in selling drugs. Ironically, we are the ones who make the "drug business" so lucrative through our demand for drugs and our heightened enforcement efforts (both of which push the price up). So we must make drugs "un-lucrative" that way drug lords can't make money and they'll stop smuggling and selling drugs. Two possible solutions are (1) legalizing/regulating drugs (I know, I know, it's not Amsterdam) and (2) addressing the forces behind domestic consumption - perhaps increasing funding for rehabilitation efforts? Hey, we've spent (and are continuing to spend) billions of dollars abroad fighting the so-called drug war (i.e. Merida Initiative/Plan Colombia) - perhaps it'd be wiser to spend that money here to help our citizens stop using drugs...

Posted by: R P | December 03, 2009 at 01:54 AM

Mr. Mayor is this the type of bridge you were referring to in your visit to Mexico earlier this week?

Posted by: MdW | December 03, 2009 at 07:12 AM

If these underground tunnels exist with electricity and ventilation, what else could be hiding beneath our feet? There might be more tunnels that convey illegal things to the US. I do agree with you D L, I appriciate the border patrol agents for making an effort to stop the illegal onslought of drugs, guns, and human trafficing.

Posted by: Mabel R. | December 03, 2009 at 07:42 AM

legalize pot and most of this goes away.......except mthe., coke and human cargo.....another fine gift from our "frieds' across the border

Posted by: Tom, Long Beach, California | December 03, 2009 at 10:35 AM

12 down and only another 12 million to go.

Posted by: impoundguy, Los Angeles, Ca. | December 03, 2009 at 10:38 AM

http://<br /> <a href="http://wbx.m...rrested%2F</a>