Thread: Border Patrol Uncovers Tunnel in Nogales

Border Patrol Uncovers Tunnel in Nogales
Tunnel and Drugs Found in Downtown Area
(Tuesday, December 11, 2007)





Tucson, Ariz. — Border Patrol agents assigned to the Nogales, Ariz. discovered a tunnel after apprehending a vehicle filled with drugs nearby.

Early this morning, agents working with Remote Video Surveillance System (RVSS) cameras spotted a vehicle parked in downtown Nogales, Ariz. near the international boundary fence. After witnessing suspicious activity in and around the vehicle, agents were dispatched to investigate the scene further. When agents approached the white Dodge minivan, they could see it was full of bundles of marijuana. The surrounding area was then searched, and a tunnel was discovered 10 feet east of the minivan. The tunnel was found to be crudely constructed, about 15 feet long and showed evidence that it had been used for smuggling recently.

The 24 bundles of marijuana were found to have a total weight of 621.05 pounds, with an estimated street value of $496,840. The marijuana was turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the minivan was seized. The tunnel has been secured, and will be investigated further in cooperation with Mexican law enforcement in the area.

The discovery of this tunnel is testimony to the impact of technology on effectiveness in border security. This is the second tunnel found in Tucson Sector since Oct. 1, 2008. Since 2003 there have been 21 tunnels unearthed in the Sector, evidence of the successful integration of field operations and technology in the area.

Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.

Contacts For This News Release

no address available at this time

Tucson Sector
Public Affairs Office
Phone: (520) 748-3000
http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/newsroom/new ... 112007.xml

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