Cops Find Secret Tunnel Under KFC, 22 Feet Down And They Establish There Is Something With Them
The Unimaginable
As he progressed through an emptied restaurant, the only noise to be heard was the clacking of his metal boots as they tapped the tiles with their steel-toes. The man walked straight past the dirty deep-fryer and straight to the back of the kitchen. His muscles were tense, as he turned past the corner there it stood…An 8-inch hole, he immediately called in for some backup.
Hidden Truths
John Erwin was an officer who had seen quite a lot in his many years working under the U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement department. However, this was a first for him. It all started when Scott Brown, an H.S.I agent had placed him at the front of a raid on a KFC branch in Arizona.
Hidden Truths
A Tip-Off
An anonymous tipoff is what led the team to suspect that the KFC was hiding more than hot sauce and colonel burgers… We hear of tipoffs and see them in the movies but who knew people actually called in law enforcement with suspicions!
A Tip Off
The King Of Soul Food
As the second-best food chain, after McDonald’s, KFC has 20,000 stores worldwide with almost 4,500 of those being in America alone. The fried chicken empire keeps on growing. However, one franchise in San Luis, Arizona was destined for other things. What these officers found blew their mind…
The King Of Soul Food
Unexplained Closure
The community of San Luiz reminisces on a time where they were able to pick up a bucket of KFC fried chicken just a few hundred yards away from the border of Mexico. This suddenly came to an end when the KFC branch, out of nowhere decided to close its doors on the community.
Unexplained Closure
Movement
Months after the KFC closed down it became evident that there were lights being turned on and off in the building. This was mainly seen in the late hours of the night. The locals simply thought that a potential reopening was upon them. Sounds followed, drilling and blasting were surely signs of a revamp. The rumors were underway once the building simply remained closed.
Movement
A Parking Lot
Its appearance started to degrade as the sign faded, the paint began to chip off the walls and it became a deserted space. Weirdly, every now and again there were cars parked in the lot outside.
A Parking Lot
Circling Agendas
A few locals had heard that a corporate giant had purchased the property and others had heard whispers of it being the purchase of a wealthy man in the region. No one managed to even think of what was actually going on in the deteriorated building. It took officials ages to even finally crack the code.
Circling Agendas
Local Intuition
The locals had put the suspicions together- firstly they had seen movement, irregular movement, and the KFC was clearly not re-opening and then random cars parked outside when there was nothing else really there. Something was up…
Local Intuition
Sudden Communication
Special agent Scott Brown received a phone call late one evening. He was rather frustrated by the call due to the hour and thought about just ignoring it. However, he was compelled to answer for some reason. Little did he know it was an anonymous tipoff that awaited on the other end of the line. He knew he had to get a warrant and quick!
Sudden Communication
Receiving A Warrant
Immigration and Customs Enforcement applied for a search warrant in order to enter the KFC building. As soon as it was passed, Officer John Erwin was tasked to manage the team of I.C.E agents.
Receiving A Warrant
I.C.E On The Scene
When the team entered the dusty kitchen, he was first to see an 8-inch hole. He called for backup and the team began breaking away at the hole. A tunnel was soon upon them. What had they just stumbled upon?
I.C.E On The Scene
The Storyline Develops
Officer John Erwin used his torch to try and see through the completely blackened tunnel, he saw tons of wooden planks that lined the walls. The team proceeded to enter and make their way down the passageway. This tunnel was three feet wide and five feet tall, perfect for people to fit within it. Officer Erwin took a deep breath and proceeded into the darkness.
The Storyline Develops
Down Towards The Corridor
The team followed him through the tunnel as they prayed that no one would be awaiting them and especially no one with a firearm. Exactly how far did this tunnel go? What awaited them at the end?
Down Towards The Corridor
Not Alone
All of a sudden, they heard something- footsteps were approaching from the opposite direction. They realized someone else was down there, reality was sinking in. They were clearly not alone but they were ready and on standby.
Not Alone
What Was Down There
Officer Erwin knew it that moment, the tunnel was positioned specifically to go through the Mexican border. It was a direct entrance to Mexico. They finally reached a ladder with a trap door right above it, this was 600-yards later.
What Was Down There
No More Chicken Here
Officer Erwin signaled for quiet, they braced themselves for a second and he broke down the door. The team paced themselves and exactly as you would see in movie they scuffled through the property, quickly and quietly… they were about to make a huge bust alright!
No More Chicken Here
Returning
He carefully peered out as they entered. Above him, he saw rusted springs of a bed and they knew they would have to climb up there in order to see. Once there, they were shocked. The crew had ended up in a Mexican home at the bottom of a bed.
Returning
Full Of Surprises
Officer Erwin then saw a rope that lay next to the entrance of the trapdoor. As they were about to assess what else could be in their surroundings , they halted.He had no time to investigate it as something was on its way toward them…
Full Of Surprises
Step By Step
They had already thought that someone was with them, they saw beams of a torch but they were very slight. As they took a step back, a man basically walked directly into the team. The man was surprised and shocked when he realized he was surrounded by I.C.E agents just as he got to the top of the ladder. He had something with him…
Step By Step
The Man
A suitcase. He had a suitcase on him, the officers immediately took it away to establish exactly what was going on. They had blindsided the man and needed to know if he had any dangerous weapons, yes, but also figure out exactly what he was doing.
The Man
By Chance
The pieces were all coming together bit by bit. However, the first established clue occurred weeks before this discovery. Border police had stopped a man at a routine checkpoint system. They questioned him and followed the usual protocol, everything seemed fine and passed the checks. As they were about to leave something happened…
By Chance
One Sniff
However, just as the officers were about to move on- their sniffer dog caught a wife of the boot and started going crazy.The dog was on to something and the officers had to assess the situation further.
One Sniff
A Whole Ring
As the policemen inspected the trailer they found two toolboxes. Upon, opening these toolboxes they had hit the jackpot. The boxes were filled with illegal substances. The driver- Ivan Lopez was instantly arrested. The canine had exposed it all.
A Whole Ring
Busted
However, as they investigated and dug deeper into his past, the police had flung open an entire operation. Although Lopez was arrested he still had a fully-fledged legacy underway. His operations would most likely be able to continue on without him.
Busted
A Pricetag With A Whole Other Value
As they dug deeper it was revealed that Lopez had bought the old KFC establishment, which cost him $390,000. An expensive price to pay for such a rundown premises, or maybe not in this case. Brown got in touch with Immigration and Customs Enforcement immediately.
A Pricetag With A Whole Other Value
Full Investigation
Agent Scott Brown of the H.S.I received a phone call soon after Lopez’s arrest. The call left him with an easy feeling as the anonymous tipper led him to believe that they had no clue what other crimes Lopez had committed, nor just how dangerous he was.
Full Investigation
The Course Of Action
They had found the missing pieces- it became evident that this under-boarder tunnel was enabling Lopez and his affiliates to smuggle drugs into the U.S from Mexico. The toolboxes had amounted to $1 million worth of contraband. How had they managed to get away with such a scheme?
The Course Of Action
Modus Operandi
Officials came to the conclusion that those who were involved in the trade and drug trafficking would simply enter through the Mexican home, travel through the 600-yard tunnel into America until reaching the KFC. This was the perfect underground route.
Modus Operandi
Route
The drugs would then be deposited there, lifted out with a rope through the hole that had been bashed into the wall of the KFC and voila. However, this tunnel was one of many in the state of Arizona…
Route
A Usual Occurance
Scott Brown said in an interview, “Tunnels are a time-consuming venture, but [they have] definitely increased since border security measures have ramped up.” Adding, “One of the things that tunneling does tell us is that as we increase infrastructure, resources, patrol, that’s forcing them to go to more costly routes into the US.”
A Usual Occurance
Head Of The Coup
The officials believe that Lopez is a ranked member of one of the cartels found in Mexico. Lopez is now in prison awaiting trial but thus far has been denied bail. Just as these cartel tunnels are on the rise surrounding the Mexican border, Agent Scott Brown spoke about why this specific tunnel was specifically scarier than others found…
Head Of The Coup
Not The Same At All
Brown said that the contraband found was all “hard narcotics.” “I think that’s what makes this tunnel a little unique and, frankly, a little more scary than some of the other ones we’ve seen,” said Brown. On the other hand, the town’s Chief of Police, Richard Jessop discussed that the rise in tunnels being built is not a surprise, as he told the Washington Post.
Not The Same At All
New Heights
Jessup elaborated, “Generally along the southwest border, every couple of months, we’re encountering a tunnel.” He went on to say, “Of course, if you can’t go over the wall, you go under [it].” Just as well many of these developments are left unfinished, however, most are completed.
New Heights
The Largest Find
The KFC tunnel was the largest and longest they had found. previously, a tunnel had been discovered in California in 2016. The tunnel was almost measured at half a mile long and ended in Tijuana, Mexico.
The Largest Find
The Business
It is believed that Lopez, in fact, owned the property before closure but had no part in running or owning the actual KFC franchise, whether he had these intentions from the beginning are unknown.
The Business
Bizarre
This did not even start in San Luis, a specific incident from 2012 found a tunnel that was connected to Arizona city with San Luis Rio Colorado in Mexico. However, this tunnel found in an abandoned KFC is still one for the books. It is an example of many alongside the border and truly demonstrates just how much contraband makes it into the U.S.
Bizarre
San-Diego Tijuana Area
I.C.E found and raided additional tunnels but in 2012 they had an extremely strong run. With three tunnels being found in one week. The San-Diego Tijuana area has been the epicentre of these finds and is proving to be a known area for the smuggling of contraband. But these criminals were becoming truly smart…
San Diego Tijuana Area
Fully Equiped
All three tunnels were found with similar structuring but they were advanced, more advanced than previous finds and you won’t believe what law enforcement found in these tunnels. Not only were they large in size but the tunnels showcased something new…
Fully Equiped
Tunnels And More Tunnels
This one specific tunnel was found along the Southwest border and was found to be around 4,309 feet, but it was not only the size that startled these officers. The massive tunnel has a depth of 70 feet from the surface, which means it was buried rather deep below.
Tunnels And More Tunnels
Next Level
This tunnel was fully equipped with a rail and cart system that were made from high voltage electrical cables and panels- they had found something rather advanced. the tunnel was even ventilated to top it all off
Next Level
Advancements
“The sophistication and length of this particular tunnel demonstrates the time-consuming efforts transnational criminal organizations will undertake to facilitate cross-border smuggling,” law enforcement said that criminal masterminds were becoming smarter and smarter.
Advancements
Their Find
As they progressed through the tunnel little did they know the amount of contraband they were about to seize. The tunnel was the connecting point between that warehouse and the other on the other side of the border.
Their Find
Seizing Millions
The investigation had led to the finding of marijuana, cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, and fentanyl. The estimated value of all of the contraband was valued at $29.6 million. Mexican authorities had to handle the rest of it from their side of the border.
Seizing Millions
Weighing In
The drugs found were once again of a very heavy nature and substances that are not only deadly but the most high-risk and addictive. They were weighed at 3,000 pounds of marijuana, 1,300 pounds of cocaine, 86 pounds of methamphetamine, 17 pounds of heroin and over 2 pounds of fentanyl.
Weighing In
Weighing In
The Discovery Of Tunnels
Tunnels have been being discovered since 1990 in America and have become more and more advanced with time as the supply and demand of contraband has too. However, law enforcement is doing there best to maintain and destroy these facilities.
The Discovery Of Tunnels
Since 1990
Since 1990 over 200 tunnels have been found entering the U.S from Mexico. The tunnels allow for heavy contraband to be moved through to the U.S. However, the exposing and demolition of these are part of the war on said contraband and will hopefully be combated one day.
Since 1990
The War
“If cartels keep spending millions of dollars building tunnels, we will keep finding and filling them,” it was said in a news release. “This time, we seized a jaw-dropping $30 million worth of dangerous drugs that aren’t going to reach the streets.”
The War