Nogales man checks on house and finds drug tunnel

Submitted by Christina Stymfal-Thompson, KOLD News 13 Web Producer

Thursday, May 26th, 11:59 am

Agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Nogales, Ariz. are investigating an incomplete tunnel that was reported to the Nogales Police Department on Wednesday, ICE spokesman Vincent Picard said.

The tunnel's opening is 2 feet by 2 feet, is about 10 feet deep. It also extends about 30 feet into the street. Investigators think that if the tunnel would have been completed, it would have connected with the drainage system which runs below the city and extends into Nogales, Sonora.

According to Picard, the homeowner who found the passageway was renting the home, located near East Street and North Nelson Avenue. The landlord made the discovery after visiting the house because the tenants had failed to pay their rent.

The homeowner informed police, who then told Homeland Security Investigations and Border Patrol.

“ICE HSI, the Border Patrol and the Nogales Police Department have developed a team approach to thwart drug smuggling organizations that attempt to use tunnels to move their narcotics into the United States,â€