Feds Shut Down Drug-Smuggling Tunnel

[Torog]

Feds Shut Down Drug-Smuggling Tunnel
July 22, 2005 4:02 AM EDT


LYNDEN, Wash. - The loads of dirt coming out of the boarded-up hut perplexed Canadian border guards. So did the loads of construction materials going in. Acting on a hunch that the activity wasn't legitimate, the guards tipped off investigators, who found that the hut was a starting point for an elaborate, 360-foot drug-smuggling tunnel beneath the U.S.-Canadian border.

On Thursday, authorities said they have shut down the tunnel - the first such passageway discovered along the nation's northern edge - and arrested five people on marijuana trafficking charges.

"They were smart enough to build a sophisticated tunnel," U.S. Attorney John McKay said in this border town about 90 miles north of Seattle. "They weren't smart enough to not get caught."

The tunnel ran from the hut on the Canadian side and ended under the living room of a home on the U.S. side, 300 feet from the border. Built with lumber, concrete and metal bars, it was equipped with lights and ventilation, and ran underneath a highway.

The passageway was 3 1/2 to 4 feet high and wide, and ran anywhere from 3 to 10 feet below ground, authorities said.

U.S. officials were trying to locate the owner of the house on the U.S. side. "We know who that individual is. We are very interested in speaking with him," McKay said.

Authorities had been monitoring construction of the tunnel for six months and had allowed its operators to make at least a few trips - all under surveillance - before sealing the passage Wednesday, McKay said.

Although numerous smuggling tunnels have been found on the U.S.-Mexican border, this was the first discovered along the border with Canada, he said.

Canadian authorities learned of the tunnel in February and alerted U.S. officials.

Pat Fogarty, a law enforcement official in British Columbia, said Canadian border guards "saw dirt going out and construction materials going in. They thought it was something we should check out."

On July 2, U.S. agents entered the home on the American side to examine the passageway. They later installed cameras and listening devices in the home.

"We were in there before it was completed. There was not a day they did anything that we weren't assessing them," said Greg Gassett, a Drug Enforcement Administration agent.

Francis Devandra Raj, 30; Timothy Woo, 34; and Jonathan Valenzuela, 27, of Surrey, British Columbia, were arrested Wednesday. They were charged with conspiracy to import and distribute marijuana.

The three appeared in court Thursday to hear the charges against them but did not enter pleas.

Raj owns the property under the hut. Woo was a fugitive in a 1999 marijuana case in Seattle, authorities said.

On July 16, two other people were arrested separately in Washington state for transporting marijuana that had come through the tunnel, Gassett said.

One was a woman who had 93 pounds of marijuana in her vehicle when she was stopped, authorities said. The other was a man pulled over with 110 pounds of the drug.

Torog Reviewed by Torog on 07-22-2005. Feds Shut Down Drug-Smuggling Tunnel Feds Shut Down Drug-Smuggling Tunnel July 22, 2005 4:02 AM EDT LYNDEN, Wash. - The loads of dirt coming out of the boarded-up hut perplexed Canadian border guards. So did the loads of construction materials going in. Acting on a hunch that the activity wasn't legitimate, the guards tipped off investigators, who found that the hut was a starting point for an elaborate, 360-foot drug-smuggling tunnel beneath the U.S.-Canadian border. On Thursday, authorities said they have shut down the Rating: 5

[ezjim]

it's nice to see that we have extra money spend 4-6 weeks investigating those dangerous weed dealers while our troops rumage through junk yards in iraq for armor for thier humvee's..that should have come armor equiped to begin with.... i bet if lord bush's daughters were in iraq that thier humvee's would have all the protection that they needed

[Torog]

it's nice to see that we have extra money spend 4-6 weeks investigating those dangerous weed dealers while our troops rumage through junk yards in iraq for armor for thier humvee's..that should have come armor equiped to begin with.... i bet if lord bush's daughters were in iraq that thier humvee's would have all the protection that they needed

Howdy ezjim,

Well..it didn't take long for someone to jump in and try to twist this thread to something else ! lol

You see,unlike the UN,and because of 9/11/01,we decide to act quickly,to preserve and protect,our national security..we didn't have time to retrofit every humvee..dilly-dallying around,while folks die by the thousands..is the UN's forte..we chose to act in the best interest of our national security,rather than risk it,by waiting on other countries to figure out how to respond to 9/11/01.

Your certainly welcome,to come on down to the politics forum,and hash this out some more.

As for this story,I posted it to highlight how dumb it was to be removing dirt and hauling in construction materials,in front of the border guards..they should have utilized counter-surveillance gear and been more careful. Which brings me to my pet peave about dealers,and that is that they often don't spend a dime of their profits on counter-surveillance gear. Dang ! At least git an outdoor security cam and a body-wire detector ! Git one of them 5.8 ghz phones with scrambling technology..and don't use cell phones or anything less than 2.4 ghz..the poor police departments,usually can't afford the scanners over 900 mhz and rely on federal funds and task forces to provide the fancy high-frequency scanners.

Have a good one....

[ezjim]

point well taken dude they wernt very bright in thier decisions on setting things up and certainley should have did a couple dry runs first to see if they were being watched .. if you are going to invest that kind of time and money into a idea like this you should at least check it out to see if it works ....im just disapointed that weed starved americans will never get a chance to sample all the goodies that could have been brought through the tunnel to our empty bongs and pipes ...but i still think wasting money going after a bunch of weed sellers is not a good idea when we have more important things going on sorry if i got off topic in my first post

[Torog]

point well taken dude they wernt very bright in thier decisions on setting things up and certainley should have did a couple dry runs first to see if they were being watched .. if you are going to invest that kind of time and money into a idea like this you should at least check it out to see if it works ....im just disapointed that weed starved americans will never get a chance to sample all the goodies that could have been brought through the tunnel to our empty bongs and pipes ...but i still think wasting money going after a bunch of weed sellers is not a good idea when we have more important things going on sorry if i got off topic in my first post

Howdy ezjim,

Everything's cool man..no problemo's

I'm glad that you agree about the counter-security..heck,even I have a security cam,aimed at my front door and driveway..it's just one of them cheapo X-10 cameras,but everyone that sees it in operation,wants something like it too. I have a tv with picture-n-picture function,so with a vcr hooked up as the second tuner,I can sit on my couch and watch tv and the front door,at the same time..it's great for us old stoners who can't be gittin up and running to the window..everytime we hear a noise..lol Saves alot of wear and tear,on the old back..I tell you what ! lol

Have a good one !

[xNoa]

how the fuck could you build a tunnel that big unnoticed?

[ezjim]

Howdy ezjim,

Everything's cool man..no problemo's

I'm glad that you agree about the counter-security..heck,even I have a security cam,aimed at my front door and driveway..it's just one of them cheapo X-10 cameras,but everyone that sees it in operation,wants something like it too. I have a tv with picture-n-picture function,so with a vcr hooked up as the second tuner,I can sit on my couch and watch tv and the front door,at the same time..it's great for us old stoners who can't be gittin up and running to the window..everytime we hear a noise..lol Saves alot of wear and tear,on the old back..I tell you what ! lol

Have a good one !

im more of a doggy type security person... nothin beats 3-4 hungry dogs in the yard to keep unwanted visitors away from the doors... i still want to see a episode of cops were the narcs kick in a door only to have thier nads gnawed off by a hungry pack of rottys.... but hell if ya can afford the new techy stuff thats cool to... have a good weekend bro

[ezjim]

how the fuck could you build a tunnel that big unnoticed?

its done on the southern boarder all the time but they mostly bring coke and dope through those tunnels.... so they go unmolested by the authoritys ..unless they pay for protection ...those dangerous drug tunnels up north are bringing in marijuana ..which we all know can cuase white women to run off with jazz musicians and will make men sterile and corrupt the young clean cut youth of america .it wont be long before those dangerous weed smugglers are raping and killing mom's making apple pie's

[Torog]

im more of a doggy type security person... nothin beats 3-4 hungry dogs in the yard to keep unwanted visitors away from the doors... i still want to see a episode of cops were the narcs kick in a door only to have thier nads gnawed off by a hungry pack of rottys.... but hell if ya can afford the new techy stuff thats cool to... have a good weekend bro

Howdy ezjim,

Well..I rent and don't have a way to keep a good dog,but I agree with you,having a good dog is a basic layer of security,that I would include if I could. Heck..I'd pay to see an episode of Cops,like the one you envision...lol,not so much to see anyone git hurt..but to see the cops runnin back out again..in a full-blown scamper..would be somewhat entertaining..lol.

Yup..I'm too broke to pay attention,so I can't afford the tech stuff,I came into a little dab of money,when I got my cam..but I know for a fact,that there are many stoners here,who are somewhat affluent and could afford an extra layer of security..but don't bother to even think about security,much less invest in any.

Have a good one ....

[ezjim]

yea that landlord thing with pets is a bitch ..i guess you cant blame a landlord for not wanting pets when past residents didnt take nesacary steps to protect the property from pet related damege ...although ive seen people do far worse things to rental proerty than a dog ever could ..im not sure [ i move around a lot] but think it was tuscon AZ. that almost 1/2 of all rental adds in the classifieds said pets welcome ...it's nice to know that there are still a few places left where dog lovers are welcome with open arms ..