Agent discovers 142-foot border tunnel in Calexico
A Border Patrol agent found a cross-border tunnel in Calexico while working along the International Border with Mexico on Thursday morning. Authorities with El Centro Sector Border Patrol said it’s the third such tunnel discovered in Calexico in the past year, with the most recent being found three weeks prior.
According to officials, the tunnel was discovered at about 11:30 a.m., about two miles east of the Calexico East Port of Entry.
The agent noticed a depression in the soil along the banks of the All-American Canal, and when he approached on foot, the soil began to give way, exposing a hole that was 18 inches in diameter.
The agent then noticed lumber and electrical wiring inside.
“This is exactly what our Border Patrol agents are on patrol for,” said El Centro Sector Chief Rodney Scott. “They are on the lookout for anything out of the ordinary along our vast Southwest border. This agent saw something that didn’t look quite right and it turned out to be a tunnel,” Scott said.
Agents described the tunnel as being about three-feet by three-feet wide and about 142 feet long. Its point of origin began about 60 feet south of the International Border in Mexico, while the rest of the tunnel extended into the United States.
Border Patrol agents said cross-border tunnels are dangerous to the safety and security of the United States, because anything, or anyone, could potentially cross into the U.S.
To help keep the country safe, agents ask the public to report any suspicious border activity to the Border Community Threat Hotline at 1-800-901-2003.
