Cross-Border Drug Smuggling Tunnel Found In Naco, Arizona
TUCSON - Federal and local law enforcement officers discovered a cross-border, underground drug smuggling tunnel in Naco, Arizona, on Tuesday. Agents were alerted to the tunnel after a truck was found carrying more than two tons of marijuana outside of Bisbee.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection said its special investigative unit worked with Tucson Sector Border Patrol agents and police in Bisbee to obtain a warrant to search a property in Naco. The tunnel was discovered in a shed and can be entered through a cement-lined shaft that has a hydraulic lift.
CBP said due to concerns with air quality, agents have not yet been able to assess the full length of the tunnel. The federal government said Mexican authorities are working to identify the tunnel’s entrance there.
“When partnered law enforcement agencies come together, the odds are greatly increased that criminal organizations will have less success,” said Tucson Sector Chief Patrol Agent Manuel Padilla Jr. “Not only is it a win-win situation for law enforcement partners, we also make the communities in which we live and serve safer.”
Two men have been detained so far in connection with the investigation. Authorities said the marijuana found had a street value of $3 million. According to CBP, since 2006 authorities have dismantled more than 80 cross-border tunnels, mostly in California and Arizona.
