183-Foot Drug Smuggling Tunnel Found Under California-Mexico Border
An international law enforcement effort led to the discovery and shutdown of a 183-foot tunnel being built to smuggle drugs, weapons, and people under the border into California. The sophisticated tunnel utilized electricity, a ventilation system, a rail system, and an electric hoist to move their illicit cargo from Mexico to the U.S.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations special agents teamed up with Mexican law enforcement officials in Mexicali, Baja California, to locate and seize a sophisticated smuggling tunnel on August 2, according to information obtained from ICE officials.
The team discovered a tunnel inside a home in Mexicali located along the border with California, officials stated. The tunnel ran approximately 183 feet at about 22 feet below the surface to a location approximately three feet north of the border wall in Calexico, California, officials reported.
While the tunnel did not yet have an exit in California, the entrance to the three-foot by four-foot tunnel measured approximately 12 feet by ten feet and utilized an electric hoist to lower the people or drugs underground. The drug traffickers installed an electrical system, ventilation, and a rail cart system to move their cargo through the tunnel.
“These types of tunnels enable drug traffickers to conduct illicit activities virtually undetected across the U.S.–Mexico border,” Cardell T. Morant, special agent in charge of HSI San Diego said in a written statement. “Discovering and shutting down these tunnels deals a major blow to drug trafficking organizations because it denies them the ability to smuggle drugs, weapons, and people across the border.”
“This is an ongoing HSI-led investigation with assistance from the El Centro Sector Border Patrol and the government of Mexico, HSI officials noted. “The HSI San Diego Tunnel Task Force thanks the government of Mexico for its cooperation in this investigation.”
Bob Price serves as associate editor and senior news contributor for the Breitbart Texas-Border team. He is an original member of the Breitbart Texas team. Price is a regular panelist on Fox 26 Houston’s What’s Your Point? Sunday-morning talk show. Follow him on Twitter @BobPriceBBTX and Face
EXCLUSIVE: Mexican Politician Allegedly Behind Sinaloa Cartel’s Appearance in Border State Unmasked
The mayor of a rural city in the Mexican border state of Nuevo Leon is the alleged key political figure behind the arrival of Sinaloa Cartel enforcers. The cartel members arrived in the region recently in an apparent attempt to take control of drug trafficking routes and regional distribution.
In June, a cell of gunmen from the Sinaloa Cartel (CDS) surfaced in the rural city of Montemorelos, Nuevo Leon. Those gunmen clashed with authorities and strung banners announcing their arrival, Breitbart Texas reported exclusively. The rural city of Montemorelos is located just south of the Monterrey Metropolitan area.
According to the cartel banner and to information shared with Breitbart Texas by U.S. law enforcement sources operating in Mexico, the CDS cell is led by an unidentified commander known by the nicknames El Gato or Felino. Authorities in Mexico also seized weapons and tactical gear with patches and hats with Sinaloa Cartel insignias and logos.
The U.S. law enforcement sources revealed to Breitbart Texas that Montemorelos police officers and politicians drew their attention in late February after state authorities arrested three local cops in connection with charges related to extortions, drug distribution, and assault — including the use of a paddle to torture their victims. One of the victims who was tortured was a political rival of Mayor Luis Fernando “El Dragón” Garza Guerrero.
Intelligence information shared with Breitbart Texas by the U.S. law enforcement sources revealed that the politician who is known as El Dragón is connected to the Sinaloa Cartel through a local drug trafficker known as The Stripper. The nickname is not tied to any criminal activity but it is a catchy slogan that the politician has used throughout his career. The politician also had links with the late Dannes Elizondo, a convicted drug trafficker who lived in McAllen, Texas. Elizondo, a U.S. citizen, used to run large cocaine shipments from Nuevo Leon to Houston for various criminal organizations. He also reportedly had links with the Beltran Leyva Cartel and the Sinaloa Cartel. A group of unknown gunmen killed Elizondo in 2018 in the ritzy suburb of San Pedro, Nuevo Leon.
The politician known as El Dragón hails from the MORENA Party and came into office in 2018. He quickly became the topic of much local controversy after being linked to numerous acts of local corruption and hiring organized crime figures into his inner circle. He is a known political ally of Mauricio Fernández Garza, the former mayor of San Pedro, who hails from the National Action Party (PAN) — the wealthiest suburb in the Monterrey metropolitan area.
Even though they were from rival parties, the political allies exchanged political favors and support. One of those favors was the hiring of Antonio Lucas Martínez, as the public security secretary of Montemorelos. Lucas Martinez had the same position in San Pedro but had to resign after he was linked to organized crime, including the forced disappearance of a teenager by his then police officers. The forced disappearance and the alleged collection of bribes by Lucas Martinez have since been covered up by state authorities.
Antonio Lucas Martínez and Luis Fernando “El Dragón” Garza Guerrero
Ildefonso Ortiz is an award-winning journalist with Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles project with Brandon Darby and senior Breitbart management. You can follow him on Twitter and on Facebook. He can be contacted at Iortiz@breitbart.com.
Brandon Darby is the managing director and editor-in-chief of Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles project with Ildefonso Ortiz and senior Breitbart management. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook. He can be contacted at bdarby@breitbart.com.
Gerald “Tony” Aranda is an international journalist with more than 20 years of experience working in high-risk areas for print and broadcast news outlets investigating organized crime, corruption, and drug trafficking in the U.S. and Mexico. In 2016, Gerald took up the pseudonym of “Tony” when he joined Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles project. Since then, he has come out of the shadows and become a contributing writer for Breitbart Texas.
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