On Saturday night, the Tijuana Police Department and members of Mexico's National Guard discovered a "fully operational" drug tunnel that lead to the U.S., about 300 feet north of the border.
The exit point of the tunnel was carved out of a concrete foundation, inside an industrial warehouse, located just east of the Otay Mesa Port of Entry. The steel reinforced tunnel utilizes a rail system, and has a ventilation system and electricity.
1,700 pounds of cocaine, 164 pounds of meth, and 3.5 pounds of heroin were seized at the warehouse, with an estimated street value of $25 million, according to Homeland Security Investigations, special agent Juan Munoz. Six people has been indicted in association with the tunnel's discovery on charges of conspiracy to distribute illegal drugs.
“I’m very happy to report there’s no light at the end of this narco tunnel," said U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman. "We and our agency partners will continue to work zealously to take down every subterranean smuggling route and other means that drug traffickers use to bring illicit drugs into our community."
This latest tunnel discovery is one of close to 90 tunnels that have been discovered between Tijuana and San Diego since 2009. Close to 200 tunnels have been discovered along the southern U.S./Mexico Border.
The Department of Homeland Security Investigations team released these photos on Monday afternoon.