Canadian-U.S. drug tunnel

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Since February, U.S. and Canadian law enforcement secretly watched drug smugglers build a tunnel across the border. Using shovels, more than 1,000 2-by-6's and rebar, the smugglers built a 360-foot-long tunnel complete with ventilation and electricity. Wednesday afternoon, their elaborate operation came to an end when U.S. federal agents arrested three men exiting the tunnel in Whatcom County just east of the Lynden-Aldergrove crossing. THREE ARRESTED U.S. authorities arrested three Surrey, B.C., men Wednesday as they came out of a tunnel dug under the border: Francis Devandra Raj, 30.Timothy Woo, 34. Johnathan Valenzuela, 27. They face federal charges of conspiracy to distribute marijuana and conspiracy to import marijuana. The three are being held in a federal jail in SeaTac. More charges may follow. "This tunnel was ambitious, sophisticated and an example of the lengths individuals and criminal organizations will go to for illegal profits," said Inspector Pat Fogarty of a special Canadian law enforcement team. The tunnel started in a Quonset hut - a large metal shed - at 26717 Zero Ave. just inside Canada. The property is owned by Francis Devandra Raj, 30, one of the three men arrested. It stretched under the border and emerged in the living room of 151 E. Boundary Road north of Lynden. The homeowners are listed as Raman L. and Kusum B. Patel, according to the Whatcom County Assessor's Web site. They were not arrested but are of great interest, said John McKay, U.S. attorney. They could not be reached for comment. The tunnel was under construction for more than a year and was big enough for a person to walk through, hunched over, McKay said. The entrances were 6 feet by 6 feet and the entire tunnel was reinforced on all sides by rebar and wood, according to a U.S. Attorney's Office news release. The people constructing it put together a pulley and winch system to lift the dirt out and move it north or south to one of the openings, Fogarty said. The tunnel was completed earlier this month.
"It's probably one of the most sophisticated tunnels seen in the U.S.," said Rod Benson, special agent in charge with the Drug Enforcement Administration. Fogarty estimated the smuggling suspects spent $1 million building it, including purchasing the land. This is the first tunnel discovered along the Canadian border, Benson said, but it's only one of 34 discovered going into the United States. The others are mostly in California and Arizona, he said. Authorities were not confident this was the only tunnel created, but they don't have any evidence to suggest there are more. U.S. federal agents installed surveillance cameras and listening devices in the East Boundary Road home earlier this month and monitored action in the tunnel constantly, Benson said. "We collectively dismantled a criminal organization capable of causing damage to Canadian and American societies," said Kim Scoville, director of the Canadian Border Services Agency. The three men arrested - Raj; Timothy Woo, 43; and Johnathan Valenzuela, 27; all of Surrey, B.C. - were part of a drug smuggling organization the Canadian Border Services Agency had been investigating since 2003, Scoville said.
"They were well known by the police in the province," Fogarty added.
DEA and Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents observed Raj, Woo and Valenzuela smuggle marijuana several times through the tunnel, frequently in hockey bags or garbage bags, according to the news release.
Authorities let the smuggling continue until they felt they had enough information to charge the suspects, McKay said. About 200 pounds of marijuana was seized as part of the investigation and other suspects are being investigated and watched, according to U.S. and Canadian officials.
Jeffrey Eig, DEA spokesman for the Seattle division, said two U.S. citizens arrested in the last week for possession of marijuana are being investigated in connection with the tunnel. A woman from Twin Falls, Idaho, was arrested Saturday with 93 pounds of marijuana in her vehicle, and a man was arrested Monday morning with more than 100 pounds of marijuana. The DEA is not releasing their names at this time, Eig said. Authorities said the tunnel will be sealed so it can't be used any longer. "The Department of Homeland Security considered this a national security issue for both countries," said Leigh Winchell, I.C.E. special agent in charge. "The tunnel could have been used to smuggle aliens into the U.S. or equipment into the U.S." "Increased security at the ports of entry ... are going to have an effect (on drug smuggling) and (they) will move it another way," he said, adding that the bust will "send shockwaves through the (drug) organizations." Reach Kira Millage at kira.millage@bellinghamherald.com or call 715-2266.
Source

I guess it was only a matter of time before we started to find these tunnels on the northern border. I kinda makes me wonder how many more of these tunnels there are???

[KaiGywer]

That is awesome. Can you just picture the look on their faces after all that work digging a tunnell, just to see US officers wait for them when they come out ;)

[cjcrew022000]

I live about 30 minutes from the area this tunnel was built. It is amazing how I can drive down the road and look at the driver beside me and they are in another country. The only thing seperating our two countries at this point is a small ditch. While the are can seem like it is unguarded, there are eyes everywhere. Apparently the CBSA agents watched these boneheads bring wheel barrow after wheel barrow full of dirt out of the quonset hut and haul all kinds of construction material inside. These guys were pretty naive to think they would get away with this. I am glad they caught them in the USA so they can feel the heavy hand of the Washington Judicial System as opposed to our increasingly weak sentences.

[Lost Texan]

CJ,
The Blaine, Sumas, Lynden area is one of my favorites. I have had fun working at and between the ports. That may be a ditch in Canada, but in Texas it looks like someone was dragging their foot<g>. You are certainly correct, driving down zero avenue and knowing the guy next to you is in another country is kind of neat. You are lucky to be in such a nice area with those nice people. Now if you just get the housing prices to where they were a few years ago, I might just get lost up there.

LT

[cjcrew022000]

Now if you just get the housing prices to where they were a few years ago, I might just get lost up there.

Ha ha, you are exactly right it is a beautiful area but you have to be on the Forbes 100 list to afford a house.