Mexico 600m drug tunnel

2011-11-30 15:18

Tijuana - Mexican authorities have unearthed a 600m drug smuggling tunnel beneath the US border, the second such find in the same area this month.

The 5m deep tunnel found on Tuesday was similar to another tunnel found on November 16, and contained both lighting and transport carts, indicating the growing technical sophistication of the country's powerful drug cartels.

"The tunnel was located after we were informed of it by US authorities," who had found the other end of the passage in nearby San Ysidro, California, Tijuana police chief Ricardo Garduno told AFP.

Security forces who took part in the raid said three tons of marijuana were uncovered inside the tunnel.

The entrance to the tunnel on the Mexican side was found some 100m from the local headquarters of the federal police, a military air base and a customs office, according to an AFP reporter.

On November 16 US authorities announced the discovery of a "major" drug smuggling tunnel under the border running some 400m and containing electricity and a ventilation system.

The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) service trumpeted the find as a major victory over Mexican drug cartels responsible for vast trafficking across the border into the United States.

Some 45 000 people have been killed since 2006, when Mexico launched a major military crackdown against the powerful drug cartels that have terrorized border communities as they have battled over lucrative smuggling routes.

- SAPA