Secret smuggling tunnel detected via drone surveillance near southern border

The presence of drones in the sky has been making headlines in recent weeks for the alarm and unrest it has caused among the populace, particularly in the northeastern part of the United States.

Now, however, the practical, law-enforcement value of drones has been made evident by their recent discovery of a smuggling tunnel under construction along Arizona's border with Mexico, as the New York Post reports.

Smuggling tunnel spotted

The discovery, which marked the third instance in which such a tunnel was found in the vicinity, was made by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents alongside authorities from Mexico.

An entrance to the passage was found via the use of drones in San Luis Rio Colorado, a town in Mexico situated to the south of Yuma.

Authorities in Sonora announced the discovery to the media on Dec. 26 with a Facebook posts that included photos of the tunnel.

“Implementing the Border Security Protocol and using technology critical points were identified to strengthen surveillance in the area,” the announcement said.

It is thought that the construction of a so-called “narco tunnel” was underway as a means to bring drugs and/or humans across the border and into the United States, though further progress has since been shut down.

Alarming situation highlighted

As the Daily Mail noted, it was not entirely clear which gang was responsible for the nascent tunnel, though the Sinaloa Cartel is known to u se passages of this type across the Southwestern border zone for the purpose of drug trafficking.

Though the cartel itself may not always build the tunnels, they often carve distinct passageways beneath residential property that spring forth from border towns' water and sewage systems.

A representative of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) explained, “The Sinaloa Cartel exerts near-total control over the border region south of Arizona, giving the cartel easy access to the San Luis Rio Colorado and Nogales” entry points.

The official continued, “At the heart of the synthetic drug crisis are the Sinaloa and Jalisco cartels and their associates, who DEA is tracking world-wide. The suppliers, manufacturers, distributors, and money launderers all play a role in the web of deliberate and calculated treachery orchestrated by these cartels.”

The DEA pledged that it would “continue to use all available resources to target these networks and save American lives,” and hopefully, the use of drones can be used to the same successful effect as occurred with regard to this now-thwarted tunnel.