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| Great White North |
| Follow-up: U.S. Agents Shut Down Drug-Smuggling Tunnel |
| 2005-07-22 |
| LYNDEN, Wash. -- Federal agents have shut down an elaborate, 360-foot drug-smuggling tunnel dug underneath the U.S.-Canadian border -- the first such passageway discovered along the nation's northern edge, officials said Thursday. Five people were arrested on marijuana trafficking charges, U.S. Attorney John McKay said in this border town about 90 miles north of Seattle. The tunnel ran from a quonset 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 reinforcing 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. "They were smart enough to build a sophisticated tunnel. They weren't smart enough to not get caught," Mr. McKay said. Mr. McKay said authorities had been monitoring construction of the tunnel for six months and sealed it shortly after it opened Wednesday. Although numerous smuggling tunnels have been found on the U.S.-Mexican border, this was the first discovered along the border with Canada, Mr. McKay said. Canadian authorities learned of the tunnel in February and alerted U.S. officials. Francis Devandra Raj, 30 years old; Timothy Woo, 34; and Johnathan Valenzuela, 27, of Surrey, British Columbia, were arrested Wednesday. They were charged with conspiracy to import and distribute marijuana. Mr. Raj owns the property under the quonset hut, authorities said. On July 16, two other people were arrested separately in Washington state for transporting marijuana that had come through the tunnel, said Greg Gassett, a Drug Enforcement Administration agent. One was a woman who authorities said had 93 pounds of marijuana in her vehicle when she was stopped. The other was a man pulled over with 110 pounds of the drug. On July 2, agents entered the home on the U.S. side to examine the tunnel. They later installed cameras and listening devices in the home. |
| Posted by:trailing wife |
| #9 Legalize it. It could cut down on me aw hell.... never mind. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2005-07-22 20:12 |
| #8 Si, Senor Frank, si. |
| Posted by: Sock Puppet 0’ Doom 2005-07-22 19:41 |
| #7 there's a LOT more important issues than cannabis.... |
| Posted by: Frank G 2005-07-22 19:35 |
| #6 no, just very mellow and ordering pizza delivery at higher-than-normal rates.... legalize it |
| Posted by: Frank G 2005-07-22 19:35 |
| #5 So,, does that mean big sections of Canada are stuck in the "summer of love"? |
| Posted by: 3dc 2005-07-22 18:58 |
| #4 BC marijuana is cheap and potent. There are estimates of over 5000 grow op homes in Vancouver alone at any given time. The police can't take them down fast enough. Penalties are very lax, rarely jail. Landlords are victims as it leaves massive repair bills. |
| Posted by: Morini 2005-07-22 13:37 |
| #3 On July 16, two other people were arrested separately in Washington state for transporting marijuana that had come through the tunnel, You are correct. ;-) |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2005-07-22 11:52 |
| #2 The direction of flow was not stated. I assume Canada to the US. Is that correct? |
| Posted by: 3dc 2005-07-22 09:35 |
| #1 Hmmm. A Riceman, a Curry and a Tamale. That's multiculturalism at work. |
| Posted by: Vlad the Muslim Impaler 2005-07-22 03:02 |