Cartel laborers dig down into this layer of clay, which is sturdier than normal soil and reduces the need for bracing and other infrastructure to shore up the passageway, Vigil told Business Insider.
A view of the entrance to a tunnel under construction found by soldiers at a recycling plant at the Otay Mesa industrial park in Tijuana, July 12, 2012. The Mexican Army located the tunnel in this border, which would be used for smuggling drugs, weapons and persons into the United States, local media reported. The excavation, which is approximately 3 meters deep, 1.70 meters high, and 150 meters long, had ventilation and lighting. No detainees were reported