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Border Patrol agents discover second Nogales tunnel within week


Associated Press
Nov. 1, 2005 02:43 PM

TUCSON - Border Patrol agents have found a second manmade tunnel near the downtown Nogales port of entry in less than a week.

Agents acting on an anonymous tip discovered a tunnel Monday night. Nearly 90 pounds of marijuana were then found outside a water drainage tunnel branching off from it, Nogales Border Patrol spokesman Lou Maheda said.

Agents who went back to the drainage tunnel Tuesday morning found another eight bundles of marijuana weighing 175 pounds about 150 yards to the west of the hand-dug tunnel, Maheda said.

Agents first found an entry to the hand-dug tunnel on a dirt driveway on private property leading into a housing complex about 300 yards west of the main downtown DeConcini port of entry, Maheda said.

They used remote surveillance equipment to find the initial marijuana Monday night, he added.

The tunnel, about 4 feet below ground, came about 50 feet into the United States from the Mexican side of the border and was only about 2 feet by 1 foot in circumference, Maheda said.

City crews were sealing the tunnels, Maheda said.

On Thursday, uniformed agents assigned to a bike patrol noticed a large chunk of collapsed pavement along the same street, International Street, east of the port of entry. Further investigation showed that a tunnel had been started about 3 feet beneath the pavement, running about 6 feet into the United States.

Maheda said there was no indication that the tunnels had been dug by the same people. Investigations have been started on both sides of the border, but there have been no arrests, he said.

Four manmade tunnels were found in Nogales during fiscal 2005, which ended Sept. 30, Maheda said.