Thread: Another unfinished border tunnel found--2d in 2 days

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/m...m17tunnel.html

Unfinished cross-border tunnel discovered



Find is the second in as many days
By Anna Cearley
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
May 17, 2006

U.S. authorities yesterday found what they believe was an incomplete cross-border tunnel, about 75 yards from a tunnel discovered Monday.

Unlike the tunnel found earlier this week, this one had no detectable exit in the United States. It extended about 10 feet north from the border fence, to the west of the tunnel found Monday, and never surfaced, said Lauren Mack, spokeswoman for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

U.S. authorities didn't enter the primitive dirt tunnel because it appeared to be unstable, so they weren't able to determine where it may have gone on the Mexican side, Mack said.

However, the tunnel was adjacent to Mexican customs property, just like the tunnel found Monday, which is an area littered with rusting pipes, old cars, trucks and trash.

Mexican authorities, who used a backhoe to excavate the cross-border tunnel found Monday, decided against doing the same with the latest tunnel. A customs official who wouldn't give his name said yesterday that Mexican authorities “came here and didn't find anything.”

U.S. authorities were told that Mexican authorities decided against digging because of safety concerns related to the junk and debris.

On Monday, Mexican authorities dug near the border fence to see if the other 20-yard-long tunnel, which had an exit in a private parking lot on the U.S. side, had an opening south of the border. Such tunnels are typically used to bring drugs or people illegally into the United States.

It remains unclear, however, whether an opening in Mexico was found in Monday's case: Mexican authorities couldn't find one, but some U.S. authorities said it could have been found if workers cleared debris, dug through the ground and removed sandbags found under the border fence.

Tunnelers who worked on the passage that was found Monday would have had to take extra time and precautions to prevent detection south of the border. Mexican authorities say they regularly patrol the customs area to prevent criminal activity. They speculated that the tunnel was being dug into Mexico from the United States.

This was the fourth tunnel to be found either adjacent to or crossing the Mexican customs property in recent months. Both tunnels found this week were promptly sealed on the U.S. side with concrete to prevent entry from the border-fence area, Mack said.



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Anna Cearley: (619) 542-4595; anna.cearley@uniontrib.com



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Isn't this enough evidence that the US Governemnet has no idea who and what is coming across to this country? Drugs, weapons, people, terrorist groups. How much more do we need to uncover before something serious is done? The 11 million is bad enough, all it takes is one nut bag with a dirty bomb and the motivation to use it and its all over. If they can't hear or detect people digging thses elaborate tunnels I wonder what else has slipped by. Thanks Jorge! ........idiot.