Record Long Drug-Smuggling Tunnel Discovered Below San Diego

The longest known Southwest drug-smuggling tunnel into the United States has been discovered at the Mexican border, officials said Wednesday.

The intricate underground pathway is more than three-quarters of a mile long and features a rail system and an elevator, according to US Customs and Border Protection.

One tunnel entrance is in an industrial area in Tijuana, Mexico, and stretches more than 4,300 feet into a San Diego neighborhood, CBP said.

The passageway, discovered by authorities in August, is about 5½ feet high and 2 feet wide and is an average 70 feet below ground.

In addition to an extensive rail-cart system and an elevator at one tunnel entrance, the passageway is outfitted with a ventilation system, high-voltage power cables and a complex drainage system, CBP said.

Following the tunnel’s discovery, authorities located one entrance about a half-mile west of the Otay Mesa port of entry in San Diego.

That entrance was concealed by a small industrial building.