Sign in

Mexico discovers hidden tunnel to the US

Mexican authorities have uncovered a hidden tunnel from the northwestern state of Sonora to Arizona in the United States, the National Commission for Security said

Updated on: Aug 29, 2016, 11:43:10 IST
AFP | By , Mexico City
Share
Share via
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • linkedin
  • whatsapp
Copy link
  • copy link

Mexican authorities have uncovered a hidden tunnel from the northwestern state of Sonora to Arizona in the United States, the National Commission for Security said Sunday.

The U.S. - Mexico border at Playas de Tijuana, in Tijuana, northwestern Mexico. (AFP File Photo)
The U.S. - Mexico border at Playas de Tijuana, in Tijuana, northwestern Mexico. (AFP File Photo)

The discovery was made while Mexican police, inspecting a drainage pipe that crosses the border, noticed a difference in the surface of the concrete at one point, the CNS said.

After moving some material, the officers discovered a “secret excavation” of a tunnel that was nearly 1.5 meters (five feet) long on Mexican territory and more than 30 meters long in the US.

Half of the tunnel was supported by wood beams and the rest was dirt and rocks -- “apparently in the process of construction, without an exit on the surface,” the CNS said.

Authorities on both sides of the border periodically discover this type of hidden tunnel, typically used by drug traffickers or undocumented migrants.

In April, US authorities discovered the longest tunnel yet that was used for bringing in illegal drugs from Mexico.

The 800-meter tunnel from Tijuana in the state of Baja California connected with Otay Mesa, part of the California city of San Diego.

Get the latest headlines from US news and global updates from Pakistan, Nepal, UK, Bangladesh, Russia and US Iran war Live, get all the latest headlines in one place on Hindustan Times.