Cross-border tunnel found in Arizona appears to be 'most sophisticated' in US history: Officials

[Judi Lynn]

Source: ABC News


By Astrid Galvan
Friday, August 7, 2020 4:25PM

PHOENIX -- An incomplete tunnel found stretching from Mexico to Arizona appears to be "the most sophisticated tunnel in U.S. history," authorities said.

The tunnel intended for smuggling ran from a neighborhood in San Luis Río Colorado, Mexico, to San Luis, Arizona, where it stopped short of reaching the surface. It was built in an area that's not conducive to tunnels because of the terrain, and it had a ventilation system, water lines, electrical wiring, a rail system and extensive reinforcement, federal officials say.

"What makes this one unique is that the terrain in Yuma is very hard... the sand is very loose, and most of them end up caving. So the fact that the material was very well built and it had ventilation, it had water, it had a rail system with walls, roof, floor, electrical, makes this one a very unique type of tunnel," said Angel Ortiz, assistant special agent in charge for Homeland Security Investigations in Yuma. HSI is a division of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

"This appears to be the most sophisticated tunnel in U.S. history, and certainly the most sophisticated I've seen in my career," said Carl E. Landrum, acting chief patrol agent with the Border Patrol's Yuma Sector.


Read more: https://abc13.com/border-tunnel-appears-to-be-most-sophisticated-in-us-history/6360163/

[cstanleytech]

1. Which is one of the reasons why Trump and the Republican parties wall is a huge waste of

taxpayer money.

[not fooled]

2. Hahahahahahahahaha

right where the orange anus has "wall" going up complete with multiple publicity stunt visits.


And right under his bone spurred feet ran this tunnel....

[Warpy]

3. They're getting smarter all the time.

It's just another example of why Dumdum's wall was such a stupid idea, never mind that high winds blow it down, that battery powered Sawzalls go right through it, people will just go under it or over it. And consider what a cylinder of liquid nitrogen and a sledgehammer would do to it.

Best thing that can happen is that it gets torn down and turned into something useful. Light rail comes to mind.

[Dem2theMax]

4. Are they sure it was people from Mexico trying to get in to the United States?

And not the other way around?

(I know, the unfinished portion was in the United States.)

If the orange idiot gets four more years, I'll be digging a tunnel out of here.

[olddad65]

7. Lol. I have always joked that the wall wasn't to keep them out, they wanted it to keep us in.

And before long, Mexico will be glad to pay for it.

[dchill]

8. "Believe me!"

[tiptonic]

12. May

May I assist you. I have a pick and various digging equipment.

[Dem2theMax]

15. You certainly may!

The more help, the sooner we get out of here!

[ret5hd]

5. Well, most sophisticated except for the...

Opening at each end part.

Just sayin’.

[Blues Heron]

9. exactly - it ain't sophisticated unless it's fully excavated!

[Submariner]

6. El Chapo's next escape tunnel

Will have to be very sophisticated. Maybe this wall was a practice wall. If he’s ever to escape, do it now for max-embarrassment of Trump.

[eppur_se_muova]

10. ... until the next one. nt

[Lonestarblue]

11. Mexican drug kingpins have the money to build such extensive tunnels because the US pays for it.

We pay for it with our drug policies. Individuals pay for it when they buy illegal drugs. Either way, the US is funding the drug gangs and smuggling operations. Our War on Drugs failed many years ago, but we keep doing the same old things. Of course, part of the reason to keep doing the same old things is so Republicans can lock up as many Black people as possible. The drug laws have destroyed many Black families.

I’ve never used drugs and have no desire to do so, but it’s time to stop treating drug use as a moral failure that needs government to prevent use. The government does not prevent alcohol use, but it punishes overuse as in DUIs and jail time for serious offenses that endanger or cost lives. We should do the same with drugs and use the tax revenue for education programs for young people and treatment for addiction. Just as with alcohol use, it is not up to the government to regulate morals and it’s time to try a new approach. Black market drugs might still be available, but people who could buy them legally would use much less from an unknown source.

[Calista241]

16. With the right equipment, these tunnels are fairly easy to find.

There's a reason this one was found before completion, and other tunnel builders around the world have had limited success in recent years.

[tclambert]

13. Did they find Hogan, LeBeau, and Newkirk down there?

[sdfernando]

14. I know nothing...nothing!

[ChazII]

17. It was the German

prisoners of war that almost successfully escaped by tunneling out of their camp in the Phoenix area. They did not realize that the Salt River had no water.