Half-mile illegal tunnel linking Tijuana to San Diego is found

SAN DIEGO -- A cross-border tunnel nearly half a mile long, from a nondescript industrial building in Tijuana to a warehouse in San Diego, is thought to be the longest illegal tunnel ever discovered along the U.S.-Mexican border, federal authorities said yesterday.

Stacked near the tunnel - a deep passage with lighting, ventilation and a pulley system - authorities found more than two tons of marijuana. The tunnel is 2,400 feet long and roomy enough for people to run through.

U.S. and Mexican authorities, who have found several border-crossing tunnels in recent years, have made no arrests. The tunnel's entrance and exit were secured as investigators gathered evidence and investigated the operators of the buildings at each end.