A cross border narco-tunnel leading into Calexico, California, from Mexicali was discovered shortly after 11 am on Sunday.

La Cronica reported the tunnel was discovered in colonia Santa Clara inside a residence located approximately 140 yards from the U.S. border after state police responded to a tip.

Upon the arrival, police observed three individuals removing various packages from the residence and placing them into a truck. The state officers examined the packages and discovered they to contained a substance believed to be methamphetamine or “ice.” Authorities secured the residence and requested assistance from the Federal Police and Mexican Army.

Preliminary information released by the Secretariat of National Defense (Mexican Army-SEDENA) reveals the tunnel was approximately 740 yards in length, crossing into the U.S. with a passageway into the tunnel from one of the rooms inside the residence. The tunnel reportedly features a pulley system and investigators also found sacks filled with soil believed to have been extracted from underground structure. The truck at the scene was believed to transport bags of soil for disposal. The total amount of suspected methamphetamine located was 460 grams. Investigators also seized an AK-47 rifle.

The three individuals who were subsequently arrested were identified as Jorge Luis “N,” 32, Enedino “N,” 39, and José Antonio “N,” 23. According to media reports, the suspects admitted the residence was being used to transport illegal drugs into the United States. Although authorities said the tunnel was one of the longest discovered in Baja California, they added that it had not been completed with an exit into the United States. The tunnel was reportedly heading in the direction of the Gran Plaza Outlets in Calexico, California.

Breitbart Texas recently reported on assertions by Roberto Mendez Meza, the vice president of the Association of Engineers in Mexico, which dispute a claim made by the Mexican Attorney General that there were 30 narco-tunnels found along the U.S.—Mexico Border between January 2010 to June 2017. Mendez Meza said that the likely number was 80.

Mexicali is a stronghold for the Sinaloa Cartel and registered more than 60 homicides in 2018, most believed to be related to internal conflicts involving the cartel and regional gangs aligned with competing factions, according to prior Breitbart Texas reporting.

Robert Arce is a retired Phoenix Police detective with extensive experience working Mexican organized crime and street gangs. Arce has worked in the Balkans, Iraq, Haiti, and recently completed a three-year assignment in Monterrey, Mexico, working out of the Consulate for the United States Department of State, International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Program, where he was the Regional Program Manager for Northeast Mexico (Coahuila, Tamaulipas, Nuevo Leon, Durango, San Luis Potosi, Zacatecas.) You can follow him on Twitter. He can be reached at robertrarce@gmail.com