Taking on the Underground

Taking on the Underground
Boozman Votes to Make Border Tunnels Illegal

U.S. Representative John Boozman (R-AR) voted today to further secure America's borders by casting a yes vote on H.R. 4830, the Border Tunnel Prevention Act of 2006.

"Five years after 9/11, would you believe it is not illegal to dig a tunnel underneath the borders of the United States?," Boozman asked. "My vote today was to help safeguard the American people by plugging this dangerous loophole in our border security laws."

The legislation enacts criminal penalties of up to 20 years imprisonment for individuals who knowingly construct or finance the construction of an unauthorized tunnel across the border. Additionally, people caught using the tunnel to smuggle aliens, terrorists, weapons, drugs or other contraband will see their penalties doubled.

"Since 9/11, 38 tunnels have been discovered violating the sovereignty of the United States," Boozman said. "This is an unacceptable security risk that I am happy to help rectify."

Earlier this week, the Drug Enforcement Administration uncovered the opening of an underground tunnel at a residence in Calexico, California, extending underground 400 feet to a residence in Mexicali, Mexico. The 20-foot deep tunnel was bolstered by wooden support beams every few feet and equipped with lighting.

"Calexico is within miles of an Interstate highway, a Naval Air Facility, and an hour from an Army proving ground," Boozman said. "While we do not know what, or who, was being smuggled through this tunnel, closing this security loophole is imperative to stemming the tide against drug smuggling, human smuggling, and the smuggling of people who could do us harm."

http://boozman.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=50516