This latest tunnel was found in Tijuana, Mexico, and ended in Arizona. Authorities described the tunnel as 220 yards, with lighting and ventilation. It began in Tijuana but did not fully reach in to San Diego and agents did not find any drugs inside the tunnel.
Just a few days ago another tunnel, approximately 240 yards, was found reaching from Arizona to Mexico. Authorities deemed it operational but closed it down after discovery. The news came of no surprise, after agents found a tunnel months ago that ran from Noagles to Arizona.
"It's apparent we are making it a lot more difficult for them [traffickers] to operate, so they are having to go through these types of extremes," Border Patrol spokesman Mario Escalante told the Arizona Republic. That tunnel, only 319 feet, paled in comparison to a 400-yard tunnel discovered only days before.
As agents for the United States and Mexico begin to crack down on drug trafficking at the border, people are turning to underground routes to maintain a steady flow of drugs. This is why there are so many tunnels being discovered and destroyed by agents now.
"The efforts of drug law enforcement in Arizona, plus the buildup of the Border Patrol, is causing the drug cartels to seek new methods to get the drugs over the border in Arizona," Elizabeth Kempshall, Arizona director of the Southwest Border High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, told the Arizona Republic.
"They can't just pick up their drugs and move to Texas because that's controlled by another cartel," Kempshall explained. Even though tunnels are expensive, the benefits from the drug sales cancel out the cost. "They have the money to bring in the expertise to build these tunnels.".
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