The tunnel was estimated to be more than 800 yards in length - that's more than eight football fields.
It connected a house in Tijuana to an outdoor fenced-in commercial lot in an Otay Mesa industrial park, about 500 yards north of the international border, officials said. The opening on the U.S. side is a 3-feet-wide hole that authorities said was once covered by a large industrial dumpster.
The tunnel was equipped with rail and ventilation systems, lights and even a large, commercial elevator that led from the tunnel into a closet inside the Tijuana home.
In total, authorities seized 2,242 pounds of cocaine and more than 14,000 pounds of marijuana.
The six people arrested in San Diego on Friday were charged with crimes involving drugs and construction of the tunnel.
The suspects were identified as Martiniano Garcia-Sedano, Cruz Armando Parra Corrales, Alejandro Bravo, Juan Carlos Chavez Fabian, Alejandro Gomez-Baez and Osmel Martinez.
The U.S. attorney's office said the Otay Mesa tunnel is the 13th large-scale operational drug smuggling tunnel discovered along the California border since 2006.
In the last five years, federal authorities have detected more than 75 cross-border smuggling tunnels, most of them in California and Arizona.
The San Diego-Tijuana region is popular because its clay-like soil is relatively easy to dig with shovels and pneumatic tools, and both sides of the border have warehouses that provide cover for trucks and heavy equipment.
So. Where the drugs found in the tunnel or on us side already, does anybody know? Seems like a shift to find that much Coke in a tunnel seems are usually used for ton amounts of weed and smaller amounts of harder drugs. Why would they know start trying to bring in tons of Coke through a tunnel is there a big increase in border security or a surplus of Coke?
ReplyDeleteThose r great questions!!!!
DeleteCtng
ReplyDeleteThe question we all are going to ask afo,cds,ctng????
ReplyDeleteI don't think it's CDS they don't take risk like this cds gets rid of there coke fast
DeleteThat amount of cocaine is unheard of for being found in a tunnel in San Diego.....even in general. My feeling is all these tunnels found in last month are past of a joint interconnected operation.
ReplyDeleteYup makes sense. Maybe there is a cell that's hot or has been flipped. The domino effect.
Deletechapo strikes again
ReplyDeleteWhy do they keep finding HUGE amounts of dope in the tunnels?If that was my operation I wouldn't leave it in the tunnels but bring it thru asap but maybe it's safer to build up a bit[probably is safer in the tunnel if not caught]then run it through all at once so as to have a full load on the truck to LA.
ReplyDelete7:16 The People ain't talking until they are offered a plea for 3 months in prison, or less...
ReplyDeleteWell i guess mums the word because they will never be offered 3 months for all that dope...
Delete5:48 But if they don't speak english, they may be deported sooner, so there, all you say is "no entiende"...
Delete1:06 you ever hear of translators?
Delete2:17 no entiende...no habla 'speaky'
DeleteIf its the Southern District of California, they would jump up and down to get a plea of 3 months.
DeleteJust wait and who turns out dead or no one sees any more. Because thats alot o coke.
ReplyDeleteCds. U all kno that answer
ReplyDeleteOMG ! Ha, why didnt they just cut the hole in the bottom of the dumster too? then just come in and pick it up. No end in sight.
ReplyDelete$50 million+ bust. Going to be some Sinaoleses missing their heads.
ReplyDeleteWhat is the wholesale value of that much Coke? Also how much did whoever owned it actually lose so not including the profit from selling it but actually capital invested in a that much Coke, as well as the wholesale value once crossed?
ReplyDeleteArellano Felix owes that tunnel
ReplyDeleteWhat info can you share to back that claim? CDS seems to be the head dog of Tunnels and Coke for that matter. Coke is very expensive nowadays and can't be made in Mexico such as crystal and weed and tar/white/brown. So that Much Coke would belong to a cartel with a lot of money to move that kind of load in one spot so highly doubt what you say is true but Just to be fair share the insight you have to make that claim?
ReplyDeleteProbably cds since cjng and caf took the plaza by force and cds just ran but still trying to sneak on the down low..
ReplyDeleteProbably means you don't know jack about it.CDS is still active in TJ.Peeps in south bay are saying it was Menchos since the people at the checkpoint talked(spilled the mencho beans).CDS keeps the drugs separate and that is why you have not seen coke when their tunnels get busted.Hmmm
ReplyDeleteOk Mr. Cheapo expert lol If you know cartels you would know CDS are the biggest snitches. Sorry to break it down to you but CDS is losing much influence and plazas everywhere. Currently, Liz Beltranes are taking CDS plazas in Sinaloa. Cjng are kicking CDS's ass in Tijuana and Colima. La linea is giving a hard tim e to CDS in Chihuahua. CDS have no more allies because they snitched on them and everybody knows chapo and the DEA were best friends because chapo gave them all the information about all the big vapor in Mexico. Loz Beltanes, Ct, CJNG don't have CDS back. It's a reason CDS was strong and now it's weak. Liz Damasos and Zambadas are also killing each other, not to mention chapos's stupid brothers killing each other. There you go mr. Expert... lmao
Deleteover a TON in coke... this is what I'm saying.. you only hear of major drug busts like this in cities like Tijuana or Juarez which more or less are either controlled or have a major presence of CDS.. you hardly ever hear of this much coke being pushed through tamaulipas
ReplyDeleteThey just don't get busted but it's ovious that zetas or cdg sneaks tons of drugs. Why do you think their a cartel? To sneak a kilonor two? lol
DeleteIt's because those plazas are under control by one cartel so there is no issues. When a plaza is being disputed there is much killings and a lot of drug busts. Doesn't necessarily mean they don't pass tons of drugs. They just have that on lock. Plus, Tijuana is the busiest border in the world so they keep a good eye on suspicious activities.
DeleteGood bust . keep up the good work
ReplyDeleteHow much is that really worth like really not the inflated law enforcement. Quotes. ?
ReplyDeleteHere is an article about Mexico exploring the possibility of regulating the opium industry.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.reuters.com/article/us-mexico-drugs-opiates-idUSKCN0XJ1U0
@6:51 A story covering that issue is coming soon (I hope). I have been working on for it seems like forever on a story I titled "Prohibition coming to the end of the road?". UNGASS lack of action caused me to re-write some of it.
DeleteI will try to post as many links as as I can related to the subject. Keep up the good work!
DeleteDD, on another note, there was six murders in Acapulco last Friday,including dismemberment.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.novedadesacapulco.mx/policiaca/seis-los-asesinatos-de-ayer-en-el-puerto
It appears UNGASS does not carry much political weight.
ReplyDeleteIf it has gas, it may have a lot of volume, more than the usual BS.
ReplyDeleteHas anyone ever connected these tunnels to the mass graves found in the desert I suspect that they were built with slave labor then on payday the miners aka witnesses were killed.
ReplyDelete