Drug tunnels discovered along Tijuana-California border

This week Mexican federal authorities discovered two tunnels along the U.S.-Mexico border near Tijuana. The tunnel was discovered about a mile east of the San Ysidro Port of Entry, which connects Tijuana and San Diego, California, according to the Office of the Attorney General of the Republic (FGR).  

Authorities said they discovered the tunnel after officers were driving by a house and spotted a man “discarding a plastic bag before running into the house.” When investigators took a closer look at the bag that was left behind, they realized it contained crystal meth. 

Upon the discovery of the drugs, the agents followed the suspect into the property, where they found multiple bags with the same drug. 

After obtaining a warrant to search the property, agents discovered packages with methamphetamine hydrochloride, which is the main ingredient used to produce meth, reported the Border Report. 

During the search of the house, agents came across a tunnel that went from the house toward the United States. The tunnel ended 45 feet (14 meters) before reaching U.S. soil. 

“In the course of the investigation, members of the Criminal Investigation Agency, in coordination with members of the SEDENA, located nine plastic bags containing methamphetamine hydrochloride in the home; they also found a tunnel-like excavation approximately 14 meters away from the dividing line between Mexico and the United States," the Attorney General's Office said in a press release.

La FGR cateó el sitio donde se construía un narcotúnel en la colonia Libertad Parte alta de #Tijuana, localizaron nueve bolsas de plástico con clorhidrato de metanfetamina y se localizó una excavación tipo túnel aproximadamente a 14 metros de distancia de la línea divisoria. pic.twitter.com/h5yZh7Ls0v

— Alejandra Guerra (@alisguerra8) May 12, 2023

The discovery comes less than a week after authorities found another tunnel in the neighborhood of Libertad Part Alta in Tijuana, known for being a hideout for drug smugglers. Police came to know of the tunnel after an anonymous tip led authorities to an abandoned house with a “for sale sign” near the border where the tunnel was located. Despite not finding anyone inside the premises, agents also found packages of crystal meth inside the house. 

The 60-feet-tunnel touched U.S. soil, authorities said, without providing more details. According to authorities, the tunnel, which extends 100 feet deep, was being used to smuggle drugs from Mexico into the United States.