Border Patrol Canine Sniffs Out Suspected Cross-Border Drug Tunnel

Nine Tons of Pot Seized From Trailer After Armed Smuggler Jumps Into Tunnel Hole
Wednesday, December 05, 2007

Tecate, Calif. — At about 5 a.m. Monday, a Border Patrol agent discovered an armed man and 860 bundles of marijuana after a Border Patrol canine alerted on a commercial storage trailer 360 yards north of the international border in Tecate, California.

The dog alerted from hundreds of yards away, then led the agent to a commercial trailer in an area under recent construction. The agent heard commotion in the 30-foot trailer and spotted a man inside with a handgun tucked into his waistband. The subject quickly disappeared into a hole in the floor of the trailer. Hundreds of plastic-wrapped marijuana bundles filled half the trailer from floor to ceiling.

The Border Patrol’s Special Response Team immediately responded to the location and secured the scene.

San Diego Chief Patrol Agent Mike Fisher commented, “The diligent actions of a motivated Border Patrol agent resulted in the discovery of this potential threat to our nation. We are committed to working with our law enforcement partners to detect these tunnels and ensure the safety and security of our communities.”

The Border Patrol notified Mexican authorities, and the San Diego Tunnel Taskforce will continue the investigation of this cross-border tunnel. The San Diego Border Patrol has discovered 18 cross-border tunnels since fiscal year 2006.