Cops find 54 persons trying to get into US through secret California-Mexico tunnel

U.S. border patrol agents investigating a caved-in road discovered a tunnel linking the United States and Mexico, the third such passage found in three years near the San Ysidro, California, crossing, and found 54 Mexicans cramped inside hoping to cross the border without permits, authorities said Wednesday.

Neil Tunn, an official for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, said agents found the 35-foot long, 3-foot-by-3-foot tunnel on Monday and further investigation led to the discovery of the 54 persons, who were all sweating and grasping for air.

"Clearly the tunnel was used for people who want to cross the border and to the US without papers," Tunn, whose full name if read family name first sounded like tunnel, said.

The tunnel -- which Tunn described as "primitive" -- surfaced in U.S. territory in a strip of land between the border fence and a public parking lot. It's just west of the San Ysidro port of entry into the United States, one of the busiest land border posts in the world, he said.