Unfinished drug tunnel found in San Luis Rio Colorado
February 13, 2011 11:03 AM
JESUS BARRAZA/OYE SONORA

SAN LUIS RIO COLORADO, Son. – Seven people are in custody in connection with the unfinished construction of a suspected in drug tunnel in this border city.

Mexican federal and municipal police officers made the arrests and uncovered the tunnel Friday before it could be extended to neighboring San Luis, Ariz.

The tunnel was started at a dwelling located at Plutarco Elias Calles Avenue and 8th Street, less than 100 yards from the border line.

The seven people arrested in connection with the tunnel were from Los Mochis, Sinaloa, police said. They were identified as Jose Luis Luna, 27 years old; Gabriel Frausto, 25; Jose Armando Lopez, 30; Ildebrando Lopez, 44; Jose Antoni Chavez, 30; Daniel Arrellanes, 18; and Miguel Angol Hernandez, 26.

Alejandro Tablero Lopez, public director for the city of San Luis Rio Colorado, said the seven were arrested by federal police in a dragnet in which city police assisted.

Over the weekend, the site was cordoned off by Mexican soldiers as federal police gathered evidence at the scene.

The windows in the dwelling had been sealed with bricks to prevent passers-by from being able to see inside as the tunnel was under construction, Tablero said.

“They had just started the tunnel in the direction of the other side (of the border). It was not finished and there was no evidence of any kinds of drugsâ€