Cross-Border Smuggling Tunnels

These materials were taken from 3 different smuggling tunnels that ran between the Mexico and southern California border by the San Diego Tunnel Task Force. The Task Force was formed in 2003 by DEA, Homeland Security Investigations, and U.S. Border Patrol to find and dismantle cross border smuggling tunnels. They have found dozens of tunnels since their formation, the longest of which was over 3 quarters of a mile.

The tunnels these materials were taken from were discovered between 2006 and 2009. They spanned up to half a mile in length and 90 feet below ground. While this may not sound like much, the tunnels were used to smuggle thousands of pounds of marijuana into the United States.

The tunnels can be crudely constructed using electric chisels to carve out tunnels and wooden supports to prevent cave-ins. Some tunnels were long and more complex and even included drainage systems to remove infiltrating ground water. One tunnel’s access point in Mexico was disguised in a warehouse bathroom. Smugglers could lower the floor with hydraulics to access the tunnel under the building.

Click here to view this artifact’s episode of “Stories from the Collection,” a monthly video series on the DEA Museum’s most exciting objects.