The discovery of a sophisticated narcotics smuggling tunnel extending from Tijuana, Mexico to an industrial park in southern San Diego County in October is not only a harbinger for smuggling operations by Mexican drug trafficking organizations but also fertile ground for "unholy alliances" with terrorist organizations spurring concern that detection methods by the Department of Homeland Security need to be improved and amplified to reflect this new threat. Since 1990 more than 140 cross-border tunnels have been discovered along the southwest border of the United States, according to a 2012 Department of Homeland Security Office of the Inspector General report with an 80 percent increase in tunnel activity occurring since 2008. What was vaguely addressed is how the majority of these tunnels have not been found until completed and at or near fully operational status.
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