Homeland What?
Border Tunnel Probe Yields First Arrest
By SETH HETTENA
Associated Press Writer
SAN DIEGO (AP) -- A Mexican citizen was arrested on drug charges in the investigation into the longest tunnel ever found underneath the U.S.-Mexico border, U.S. officials said Monday.
The suspect was taken into custody Saturday by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. He appeared in federal court Monday on charges of conspiracy to import more than a ton of marijuana, which carries a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison.
The 2,400-foot tunnel runs from a warehouse near the airport in Tijuana to a warehouse in San Diego. It was unclear how long it had been in operation, but more than two tons of marijuana were found inside.
Authorities said the passage was 5 feet high and ran as deep as 90 feet below the surface. It had a concrete floor, lights along one of the hard soil walls, a groundwater pump, and pipes that circulated fresh air.