Biggest bust in California history at end of tunnel

~Zen~ · Nov 5, 2010

California's biggest cannabis bust went down recently. At the end of a tunnel from Mexico into San Diego county, just like on TV's 'Weeds!'

This sophisticated operation sported air-conditioning, lighting, and a railway system to zip pallet loads of stuff from Mexico into a warehouse on the US side of the border. Perhaps they should have disguised it inside a maternity fashion shop and hired Nancy Botwin to run it.

But no, these super-rich dealers had a tractor-trailer rig hauling tons directly out of the warehouse, leading the authorities to wonder why they had such truckloads of stuff coming out of this place daily.

Federal authorities in San Diego have made one of the largest marijuana seizures in the United States, confiscating 20 tons of pot near an underground tunnel connecting warehouses on either side of California's border with Mexico, officials said Wednesday.

Mexican authorities seized another four tons of pot from the warehouse on their side of the border.

In total, between 25 and 30 tons of marijuana were seized from both sides — worth more than $20 million if sold on the streets of San Diego, said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director John Morton. The bricks of pot were packaged for sale.

"This is obviously the work of a cartel," said Morton, who held a news conference outside the warehouse in an industrial park near the Otay Mesa truck crossing, across from Tijuana.

Officials said the lightening-speed, 12-hour operation started Tuesday night when U.S. authorities watching a warehouse under surveillance followed a tractor-trailer as it left the building.

ICE agents called in the California Highway Patrol, whose officers stopped the rig near Temecula, California, about 60 miles (100 kilometers) way. Authorities say they found 10 tons of marijuana inside the tractor-trailer. The driver, a U.S. citizen, and his Mexican wife were arrested and will be arraigned in San Diego on Thursday.

Authorities quickly obtained a federal search warrant to enter the warehouse, where they discovered 10 to 15 more tons of marijuana, Morton said.

They also found the opening to the tunnel, which ran the length of six football fields under the border and ended at a warehouse in Mexico, Morton said. The tunnel had lighting, ventilation and a rail system to send loads of illegal drugs into California.

The clandestine passageway was too low to stand up in and was believed to be in operation for only a brief time, Morton said.

Officials said the seizure was the largest ever in California and was believed to be the second-largest in the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agents seized 33 tons of marijuana in Oregon in 2008, DEA special agent Ralph W. Partridge said.
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From AP via the PoliceOne website.

lunarverse · Nov 5, 2010

CNN was all too proud to be reporting this only a few days after the defeat of Prop 19.

skip · Nov 5, 2010

I'm certain this is one of many tunnels used for smuggling from Mexico. All the border security in the world won't stop a tunnel, until it's found.

Oh and that border fence to keep out illegals is a JOKE and a waste of resources! This proves it!

BreathIn · Nov 5, 2010

Skip said:

I'm certain this is one of many tunnels used for smuggling from Mexico. All the border security in the world won't stop a tunnel, until it's found.

Oh and that border fence to keep out illegals is a JOKE and a waste of resources! This proves it!
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Agreed 100% skip..

haha, even when I read the title, first thing I thought was Weeds :sombrero:

Plant_Head · Nov 6, 2010

"Oh no, now no one can buy pot anymore."

Sucks when people get busted although it is likely this is an organized crime operation from Mexico, you know the people with no conscience, and it was probably shit brick weed. I'd like to see some pictures of this Tunnel.

skip · Nov 7, 2010

I think it's cool all these busts of Mexican shit weed are happening just in time for California's harvest to come to market. Maybe it will help raise prices for growers cause they've been dropping a lot.

lunarverse · Nov 7, 2010

Plant_Head said:

"Oh no, now no one can buy pot anymore."

Sucks when people get busted although it is likely this is an organized crime operation from Mexico, you know the people with no conscience, and it was probably shit brick weed. I'd like to see some pictures of this Tunnel.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nowhNO8Fx4&feature=player_embedded"]YouTube - Agents shut down marijuana tunnel

euphoriaforall · Nov 7, 2010

Doesnt this seem crazy to anybody that we need tunnels and hiding places just to smoke a plant that grows from the earth in the first place?

lunarverse · Nov 7, 2010

Last night I was reading an interesting chapter in my new book in which the editor suggests that the secrecy and hiding aspect of using cannabis is most likely the "addictive" part of it. She suggested that people get addicted to the ritual aspect of hiding their goods, then taking them out when it's time to use it. Much like how people with OCD get used to their rituals they do over and over. Once something becomes a habit or ritual to people, it becomes comfortable and people like to be comfortable.

For some it's also the taboo and the culture aspect of it that makes it so appealing. The lengths one sometimes has to go to to obtain it can be attractive to some people and so they see it's use as a reward.

squibbles · Nov 7, 2010

Good thing they haven't found my tunnel going from canada to the us.. they might flip shit.

skip · Nov 7, 2010

lunarverse said:

Last night I was reading an interesting chapter in my new book in which the editor suggests that the secrecy and hiding aspect of using cannabis is most likely the "addictive" part of it. She suggested that people get addicted to the ritual aspect of hiding their goods, then taking them out when it's time to use it. Much like how people with OCD get used to their rituals they do over and over. Once something becomes a habit or ritual to people, it becomes comfortable and people like to be comfortable.

For some it's also the taboo and the culture aspect of it that makes it so appealing. The lengths one sometimes has to go to to obtain it can be attractive to some people and so they see it's use as a reward.
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The rituals involved in finding, purchasing and using cannabis are part of the subculture for a long time. What's interesting is that some of these rituals are changing now that you can obtain cannabis thru retail outlets or friends who grow.

Once upon a time the only "reefer" available was imported. So then you had to buy it from an illegal source. Now it's legal in many places for medicinal marijuana, so that part has changed for many people.

The social milieu and culture surrounding cannabis is certainly an attraction for many, esp. in the beginning.

I could agree with the whole premise you presented, but if it wasn't for the nature of the drug itself, getting one high, lessening inhibitions, easing social situations, people would not use it for ritual or cultural reasons only.

When you consider other drugs, like caffeine and alcohol, and the culture around those, if not for the drug's effects there would be no need for the culture.

In other words if there's no alcohol, there's no bars, not the other way around. If there's no coffee, there's no cafes, etc.

So it's the drug itself, its effects and its means of consumption that dictates the nature of the culture that forms around its use.

The psychological impact of the drug vs the culture can be difficult to separate, esp. when attempting to attribute some form of psychological addiction.

I think everyone knows that when they are out in nature, out of their normal situation, and they suddenly get the urge to toke up, it's not cause they miss their cultural milieu, its cause they miss getting high...

Although I must confess when I was in Australia, I loved to go to the beach and get high there. Usually with no one else around, or just a few ppl on the whole beach. It was just the perfect place to get high...

So definitely certain environments, rituals and culture may make you want to toke up, but they don't keep you "addicted"...

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Biggest bust in California history at end of tunnel

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