30 Detained At Border Tunnel Discovered In San Diego

SAN DIEGO, CA – U.S. Border Patrol agents discovered a smuggling tunnel near the Otay Mesa point of entry early Saturday.

Agents came upon several people who had apparently just been smuggled into the United States just after 1 a.m. Saturday, according to a Customs and Border Patrol press release.

After a search of the area, agents discovered a "crude opening in the ground with a ladder inside" and determined it to be a smuggling tunnel.

They took 30 people into custody who are believed to have crossed into the country via the tunnel. Among them are 23 Chinese nationals and seven Mexican nationals.

Border Patrol officials said it appears this tunnel may be an extension of an incomplete tunnel previously discovered and seized by Mexican authorities.

Members of the San Diego Tunnel Task Force, led by Homeland Security Investigations – an arm of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement – are investigating.

By City News Service

Screenshot via Newsy