TUCSON – On Thursday, an incomplete 29-foot-long cross-border tunnel running under the streets of Nogales was discovered by U.S. Border Patrol agents and Mexican Federal Police.
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U.S. Border Patrol agents and Mexican Federal Police discovered an illicit cross-border tunnel under the streets of Nogales Thursday. This is the 123rd smuggling tunnel discovered in the Tucson Sector since 1990. @CBP Details: https://t.co/PJnJVXMTLT pic.twitter.com/nnW662a3Dc
— CBP Arizona (@CBPArizona) October 25, 2019
The tunnel was found during a routine bi-national tunnel sweep of the drainage system that serves both sides of the border.
According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), “the entrance to the tunnel was located in the concrete floor of a drainage system. A pile of dirt concealed the tunnel entrance, which was covered by several sheets of plywood. Beneath the plywood, a cement cutout plugged the hole. The tunnel was approximately three feet wide and five feet tall at the entrance. Construction tools and electrical wiring were found inside the tunnel, which was still being constructed 10 feet below street level.”