Border Patrol agents foiled the construction of a cross-border tunnel for smuggling contraband that was discovered Monday during a tunnel sweep in cooperation with Mexican law enforcement.
The tunnel was about 50 feet long and 2 feet wide by 2 feet tall, and while it was incomplete, it was apparently designed for smuggling, the Tucson Sector Border Patrol said in a statement. Most of it, about 44 feet, was on the U.S. side of the border.
Nogales Border Patrol and Mexican law enforcement discover partially completed Cross #Border Tunnel in Nogales, Arizona. #AlwaysVigilant @CBP #USBP agents safeguard the country no matter the challenge. Details: https://t.co/ehtjiEza1j pic.twitter.com/uqSBdJsTfD
— CBP Arizona (@CBPArizona) December 18, 2018
“Tucson Sector Border Patrol continues to work closely with strategic partners in Mexico to detect tunnels under construction to prevent the movement of illegal contraband or persons across the border,” U.S. Customs and Border Protection said.
The two cities of Nogales, in Arizona and Mexico, have an international waterway for controlling flooding, and the tunnel’s entrance was submerged under it. The tunnel ended underneath a parking lot, its exit not yet constructed and structural shoring and digging tools lying inside. Authorities plan to fill the tunnel with concrete.- READ MORE