Major drug tunnel discovered on US-Mexico border

Authorities seized 12 tons of marijuana and arrested 22 people after discovering one of the longest cross-border tunnels between the U.S. and Mexico, officials said Thursday. The passage connecting warehouses in San Diego and Tijuana, Mexico, was about 2,400 feet long and 30 feet deep. It was lit, ventilated and equipped with a rail system — hallmarks of the most sophisticated tunnels found along the border.

Those arrested on suspicion of drug trafficking told authorities that they had ties to a criminal group that operates in the state of Jalisco.

Mexican federal police said in a statement.

Near-simultaneous police stings on Wednesday resulted in six arrests in San Diego and 16 in Mexico. Authorities recovered two tons of marijuana in the U.S. and 10 tons in Mexico. U.S. authorities said smugglers tried to move the first load of drugs through the tunnel on Wednesday but that nothing got through undetected. The discovery demonstrates the enduring appeal of tunnels to smugglers, despite the significant time and money required to build one. Dozens of tunnels have been found along the U.S.-Mexico border in recent years, some equipped with hydraulic lifts and electric rail cars.

Drug tunnel Americas