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The border guards themselves were surprised when they examined the entrance in the Arizona desert. The fact that drug smugglers are creating underground passages to cross the border between Mexico and the USA unnoticed is nothing new. But how much effort and work they are now putting into expanding the tunnels. According to the investigators, this one is the most sophisticated that has ever been discovered.
Vinny Dulesky, US border guards:
"The floor and the walls of the tunnel were clad with wood, and a rail system ran through it. There was also ventilation, power lines and it had weatherproof insulation. There is nothing like that in such tunnels."
The border guards noticed the 400-meter-long tunnel because it had apparently caused a small sinkhole nearby. It is also clear to them: The find is an episode in the cat-and-mouse game between drug cartels and investigators at the border:
Angel Ortiz, US Border Guard
"Every time we secure a certain area, the criminal organizations have to come up with something to bypass it elsewhere. We have to expect that."
In this case, the investigators were faster than the drug lords. Apparently the 400 meter long tunnel had not yet been used.