A "highly sophisticated" drug tunnel between San Diego and Mexico -- packed with tons of marijuana and cocaine -- was discovered and seized by federal authorities, ABC News reported.
"It is equipped with electricity, ventilation and a rail system," said ICE spokeswoman Lauren Mack of the tunnel, which was shut down by officials on Wednesday.
During a raid, authorities said they found eight tons of marijuana and 325 pounds of cocaine.
Although similar tunnels had been shut down in the nearby area in recent years, it was "the first time cocaine has been recovered in connection with a local drug tunnel," Mack added.
Three suspects were arrested and face federal charges.
The underground route was located by the San Diego Tunnel Task Force, which consists of officers from ICE, Homeland Security, Customs, Border Patrol, and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
ABC News reported that Mexican media outlets published photos of the tunnel near a Tijuana airport.
This is the eighth major tunnel found since 2006, "a period during which Mexico's Sinaloa cartel has solidified its hold on the prized smuggling corridor," according to The Associated Press.
The cartel is known for "controlling huge swaths of territory along the U.S. border. It operates a thriving trade which in recent years its kingpin Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman, a spot on the Forbes ist of the world's richest people, with a fortune of an estimated $1 billion in 2012."
A news conference is scheduled for 2:30 p.m.
Since 2008, a total of 75 tunnels have been discovered between the United States and Mexico for drug smuggling. Because of the clay-like soil in San Diego, tunnels were easier to dig in the area. Additionally, the southern California area has multiple warehouses nearby.
The tunnel found on Wednesday was close to a previous tunnel seized by authorities in 2011, filled with 32 tons of marijuana and built with electric car rails, lighting, and ventilation.
On Thanksgiving Day of 2010, a San Diego-Tijuana drug tunnel was found with 32 tons of marijuana.
