Drug tunnels discovered days apart in U.S., Mexico

A tunnel authorities found in Tijuana, Mexico, that they suspect was designed to smuggle drugs into the United States is seen in this image provided by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency July 12, 2012. / AP Photo/Immigration and Customs Enforcement

(CBS/AP) Two tunnels authorities say were designed to smuggle drugs into the United States were found days apart on both sides of the border with Mexico.

The Drug Enforcement Administration announced Thursday the discovery of a major cross-border drug tunnel in San Luis, Ariz., during the weekend. It extended 240 yards underground from a one-story non-descript building to an ice plant in San Luis Rio Colorado, Mexico.

Also Thursday, Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokeswoman Lauren Mack told The Associated Press that an incomplete tunnel stretching approximately 220 yards was found in Tijuana, Mexico.

Both passages had lighting and ventilation, authorities said.

A tunnel authorities found in San Luis, Ariz., that they suspect was designed to smuggle drugs into the United States is seen in this image provided by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration July 12, 2012.

/ CBS/Drug Enforcement Administration

The Arizona tunnel was discovered while authorities executed a search warrant on the building Saturday morning. Its entrance was hidden beneath a large water tank in a storage room.

Three suspects have been arrested in connection with the tunnel, the DEA said in a statement.

"The recent discovery of this sophisticated drug smuggling tunnel is yet another reminder of how desperate these criminal organizations are and the extent they will go to further their drug dealing operations and endanger the security of our citizens," Doug Coleman, special agent in charge of the DEA's Phoenix field division, said in the statement.

The Tijuana tunnel began under a bathroom sink inside a warehouse and did not cross the border into San Diego. Mack said the Mexican army entered the tunnel Wednesday. No drugs were found and no arrests were reported.

A tunnel authorities found in San Luis, Ariz., that they suspect was designed to smuggle drugs into the United States is seen in this image provided by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration July 12, 2012.

/ CBS/Drug Enforcement Administration

The Mexican army planned a news conference Thursday afternoon in Tijuana.

As U.S. authorities heighten enforcement on land, tunnels have become an increasingly common way to smuggle enormous loads of marijuana into the country. More than 70 passages have been found on the border since October 2008, surpassing the number of discoveries in the previous six years.

Raids last November on two tunnels linking San Diego and Tijuana netted a combined 52 tons of marijuana on both sides of the border. In early December 2009, authorities found an incomplete tunnel that stretched nearly 900 feet into San Diego from Tijuana, equipped with an elevator at the Mexican entrance.

It takes roughly six months to a year to build a tunnel, authorities say. Workers use shovels and pickaxes to slowly dig through the soil, sleeping in the warehouse until the job is done. Sometimes they use pneumatic tools.

[morris2196]

This seems to me to be an inefficient way in which to smuggle drugs. A tunnel this length and sophistication requires thousands of man-hours to construct. But it can be discovered by just one mistake in security, or one accidental discovery during the hundreds of drugs raids conducted in structures along the border.

[lillyhorton]

This kind of supports Arizona's concerns on Illegals. It appears that the illegals are supported by registered hispanics which makes both parties suspicious. Profiling hispanics in this area would be beneficial in our war on drugs.

[smittyc]

Anywhere there are a large number of gangs, there are probably drug tunnels. The cartels have tunnels all over Mexico and probably all over parts of the U.S. Just my common sense talking here, no proof. Mexico is supposed to have soldiers patroling and guarding the entire souther border but people from all of central and south America are continuously finding there way into the U.S. thru Mexico.

[jd2408]

They know this tunnel was to only smuggle drugs and how did they come to that conclusion. It is past time for our government to wake up.

[BHamm41]

A testament to the four legged heros! Without the smelling powers of k-9s would this tunnel have been found?!
http://******/P3xicG

[rightofwrong]

San Diego is nearly 20 miles from Tijuana. 900 feet gets you to San Ysidro.

[mrmessma]

Meh, news to me. The latest architectural advances of AMD's pile driver core may not be news to me, but it is to someone not familiar with an area. Don't click on an article you already know everything about.

[formerlyluvnut]

This is NOT news...this is all too common and no secret.