Tunnels found in Nogales tied to smuggling

Arizona Daily Star ^ | 01.03.2004 | Eric Swedlund

[SandRat]

Mexican and U.S. officials are investigating the discovery of two smuggling tunnels found late Wednesday in Nogales, Sonora.

Local police were searching an area on the western end of the city after a series of reports of suspicious activity when they tried to chase people into storm drains. When they didn't find anybody in the drain, police assumed they had used a tunnel.

Further investigation in the area yielded two tunnel openings and the Mexican police contacted authorities in the United States, Santa Cruz County Sheriff Tony Estrada said Friday.

Authorities couldn't determine where or if the tunnels exited on the U.S. side and believe the tunnels are either incomplete or sealed on the Mexican side. However, the matter is still under investigation and U.S. authorities are still looking for active tunnels in the area. Authorities believe the tunnels were intended as people-smuggling routes.

Estrada said smugglers have tapped into storm drains along the Mexican side of the border, which opens a lot of possibilities for tunnels.

While it's not unusual to find makeshift tunnels on the Mexican side, they don't always lead all the way across the border, Estrada said. Mexican police will turn their investigation over to federal officials, who generally contact U.S. counterparts with their findings, he said.

[SandRat]

Notice the Mexican officials are always investigating and seldom do you hear of an arrest, trial, and harsh sentancing.

Sheesh.

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[gipper81]

Tunnels? Tunnels? We don't got no steenking tunnels.

[LoneRangerMassachusetts]

Authorities couldn't determine where or if the tunnels exited on the U.S. side and believe the tunnels are either incomplete or sealed on the Mexican side. However, the matter is still under investigation and U.S. authorities are still looking for active tunnels in the area. Authorities believe the tunnels were intended as people-smuggling routes.

Pump colored smoke into the tunnels and see where it comes up in Mexico. Seal these entries by dropping guided concrete bombs like those used to take out tanks in Iraq.

[SandRat]

PING!

[XRdsRev]

I don't know if they have it already or not but the Border patrol and other law enforcement in the area should have access to Ground Penetrating Radar units. The really good units cost about $75,000 and give a graphic view of the soil down to about 30-40 feet. If the unit goes over a tunnel, it will be very easy to see and locate exactly both horizontally and vertically.

Archaeologists use these things often (I got to use one once, it was pretty awesome), our border guys might want to check them out.

[LoneRangerMassachusetts]

Do you make it a point to call people despicable, uncaring savages when the say something you don't agree with?

When it comes to feeding the shameless legal shakedown, con artists that gets redirected to my wallet, I most certainly do.

[SandRat]

I much prefer pumping the fuel gel from a ZIPPO Track and then igniting it. You get to see where the other end is, anything in it is turned to toast and you collapse the tunnel. Either way it ends up as Dirty Harry would say "No trial! No reports to file!"

[SandRat]

JB hasn't the ABP done some work with these things? Or did you just use ground sensors? Might be a new area for you since ABP seems to be able to build things cheaper and faster than the feds.

[SandRat]

In post 4 are you arguing with yourself?

Ease off the coffee man we need you.

[B4Ranch]

I do not believe there are tunnels in Nogales! Mexico said they would correct this problem years ago!

[SandRat]

You forgot </sacasm

Then I have a 40 room house to sell you right on the beach. Course you'll have to wait for the tide to go out to see 39 of the rooms.</sacasm

[B4Ranch]

LOL

[kstewskis]

Mexican police will turn their investigation over to federal officials, who generally contact U.S. counterparts with their findings, he said.

Yeah, like that's gonna happen.

[cyborg]

Before Ken Hamblin turned into a bitter weiner, he had loads of pics on his website of these tunnels.