Elaborate Border Tunnel Uncovered
Found near San Ysidro Port of Entry
By SUSAN TAYLOR
Updated 8:00 AM PST, Fri, Jul 3, 2009
An elaborate border tunnel, complete with lights, fans and a ventilation system, was found in San Diego Thursday night.
Immigration Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol agents uncovered the passageway just west of the San Ysidro Port of Entry. They said it spans about 53 feet, from Tijuana to an opening in a field on this side of the border.
An Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokeswoman said the builders entered through a manhole near the border fence in Mexico and crawled through 700 feet of sewer drain to access the tunnel. An exit was found under an old sofa cushion at the South Bay International Wastewater Treatment Plant.
Agents say the tunnel is reinforced by a plywood roof and wooden planks. They believe it was being used to smuggle both humans and drugs from Mexico.
Copyright Associated Press / NBC San Diego
First Published: Jul 2, 2009 10:48 PM PST
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