Border Patrol Finds 'Highly Sophisticated' Smuggling Tunnel Passing Under California Port Of Entry

Border Patrol agents have disabled a tunnel that crossed the southern border and sought to be used for smuggling purposes, authorities said.

Concretely, the tunnel was found in early April while still under construction. It passed underneath the Otay Mesa Port of Entry and connected Tijuana and San Diego, U.S. Customs and Border Protection detailed. Its projected exit point would be near or inside a commercial warehouse space in San Diego.

Agents described the tunnel as "highly sophisticated," coming across barricades apparently placed to prevent agents from finding it. The tunnel was some 3,000 feet long and reached depths of up to 50 feet. It was 42 inches tall and 28 inches wide and had lighting, electrical wiring, ventilation systems and a track that could have been used for transporting large loads.

Authorities, working along Mexican counterparts, found the entrance on Monday inside a house in Tijuana. It had been covered up with tile, authorities said. The tunnel will be filled with concrete to prevent it from being used.

Fox News detailed that over 95 tunnels have been disabled in the San Diego area since 1993. Authorities also found a sophisticated tunnel in January while inspecting the storm drain system in the El Paso area.

The tunnel was "equipped with lighting, a ventilation system, and is braced with wood beams throughout," per Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). The entry on the Mexican side is located in the Juarez area, with authorities from the country taking steps to seal the structure as well. The outlet detailed that members of Mexico's National Guard prevented civilian access to the area while heavy machinery was used to fill up the tunnel.

Former Border Patrol Chief Victor Manjarrez Jr. described the tunnel as "sophisticated" and said it was likely used to "bring people from China, from Southeast Asia or Europe that can pay $25,000 to $30,000 to be smuggled to the United States." He added that other potential clients could come from what he described as "terrorist" regions. "They may not be on the list itself but come from" there, Manjarrez added, saying they are "the ones more invested in not being detected."

Authorities had reportedly heard about the tunnel months ago but had been unable to locate it. That changed after agents conducted a storm drain inspection in Boone Street, less than a mile away from the border.