(NewsNation) — The owner of a Texas vape shop was arrested and faces criminal drug charges after federal and local law enforcement officers discovered a tunnel that investigators believe could be linked to transnational criminal organizations.
The Drug Enforcement Administration discovered the 25-foot-deep tunnel inside the Laredo business as part of a week-long enforcement operation, officials said. The operation, which is being called “Operation Vaporizer," is targeting American vape shops, including those along the U.S.-Mexico border.
Officials with the DEA's Houston division told NewsNation that the purpose of the unfinished passageway was intended for illicit use. As part of the probe, including the Laredo police, cocaine and marijuana were seized.
Gilberto Pena, who owns the Lared