Sunday, during a joint tunnel sweep along the International Boundary Fence in Nogales, Border Patrol agents and Mexican law enforcement officers discovered two illicit tunnels leading from Mexico toward the United States.
The sweep was part of a proactive search west of the DeConcini port of entry; both tunnels were incomplete, under construction and approximately two feet wide by three feet tall. One tunnel had entered the United States, extending approximately 10 feet into the country.
“Border Patrol agents, in partnership with law enforcement agencies and communities on both sides of the border, continue to be proactive in detecting these illicit tunnels which compromise border security and the structural integrity structures they are built under,” said Division Chief of the Tucson Sector Manuel Padilla, Jr. “Bi-national cooperation has allowed both countries to make major strides in achieving our common goals of making both countries safer.”
Border Patrol works with Mexican authorities to share vital information on current smuggling trends to deny, degrade, disrupt, and dismantle smuggling organizations. The open lines of communication being maintained with Mexican authorities have led to a number of mutually beneficial, intelligence driven operations.
