As he was walking inside the abandoned KFC, Officer John Irwin felt like someone was following him. The whole thing made him quite uneasy, so he decided to radio back to his station and ask for backup.
A moment later, what seemed like a haunting figure ran towards him. He had seconds to act until it wasn't too late. Every minute lost could cost officer Irwin health or...a life!
Who Was on the Other Side?
He shouted, “I’m a police officer working for the United States of America, and I am armed. Who’s out there?” For a minute, the mysterious figure stopped – it was as if he slowly vanished into thin air.
A few minutes later, the backup that Officer Irwin requested finally arrived on the scene, and he did feel so much better. He wasn’t sure what would happen to him if he didn’t ask for more men. Thankfully, they responded as quickly as they could, but even they weren’t prepared for what they were about to discover…
An Unexpected Discovery
Before entering the dilapidated fast-food chain, Officer Irwin and his men had a weird feeling about all of it. One of the police officers said, “I don’t think this is a good idea, but this is our job, so let’s do it.” His co-officers simply gave him a slight smile – they weren’t feeling this scene too.
As they stepped inside the old KFC, they weren’t sure what they expected. The anonymous tip that they got was pretty vague, but they knew that they had to act quickly if they wanted to get to the bottom of things. Finally, a secret tunnel on the floor of the fast-food chain greeted them with a bewildered look on their faces.
Getting an Anonymous Tip
Before the police officers raided the dilapidated fast-food chain, an anonymous tip was sent to their higher officials. It was Officer Scott Brown who received a random call in the middle of the night. He wasn’t even sure whether he should’ve answered the call or not because it was a bit too late, but he was so glad that he did.
The caller simply said, “You should explore the old KFC in Arizona because there are some illegal activities happening there. You should also act fast because people’s lives depend on this.” That was all Officer Brown needed to hear, and he knew that he had to act quickly.
One Old Fast-Food Chain
KFC is a popular fast-food chain, not only in the United States of America but around the world. It’s safe to say that it’s one of the most known food brands, next to McDonald’s. It’s no wonder that the locals in Arizona loved this place, and they frequented it whenever they could.
This fast-food chain was a special place, and the locals of their community grew up around this spot. Even though it’s a mere fast-food chain and not a fancy restaurant, people loved coming there – it was their spot.
A Beloved Spot in Their Town
This particular KFC was situated in the middle of their town, which made it pretty accessible to everyone who wanted to get some food. It was cheap, and they had delicious meals, so who wouldn’t want to live near that place?
Although, something happened a few years after this particular KFC opened. Even though the patrons loved the place, it wasn’t enough to keep the business afloat. One day, the locals in this Arizona town were stunned by a scene in this fast-food chain…
Why Did It Shut Down?
Some locals were about to drive by this particular KFC to get some food, but they were greeted by a huge sign that said: “Closed for Good.” This wasn’t something that they expected, but they all knew that closing down was part of the business. Still, they couldn’t help but feel sad.
For years, people forgot that there had even been a KFC in this town. However, something happened that made the locals think that this fast-food chain was about to make a comeback…
Locals Were Surprised
There were various types of equipment taken inside the old fast-food chain, and men were always coming and going. The locals thought they were finally getting this KFC back, and they believed that it was simply being renovated from the inside out. So they waited and waited for the grand re-opening.
Although, weeks turned into months, and nothing seemed to be happening. There weren’t any renovations happening, and the KFC appeared to be shut down for good. So what were the pieces of equipment for if they weren’t doing a fast-food chain renovation?
What Was Happening Inside?
Most locals who passed by the old fast-food chain got really curious. There were lights going on and off every night, but there wasn’t any work being done. This was when people started talking and speculating…
One day, something caught a local’s eye, and it was as if a mysterious figure had brought something outside of the dilapidated establishment. That was when they decided to call the police – they thought that getting the authorities involved was the best way to go around it. However, they weren’t prepared for what was about to come.
The Authorities Soon Got Involved
The local decided to call Officer Brown, and he said, “There are a few men going in and out of the old KFC, and we think they might be doing something illegal. We’re all very concerned, and we want to keep our neighborhood safe.”
That was all that Officer Brown needed to hear for him to take action. So he requested a search warrant for that particular fast-food chain, and he sent out one of his best officers to search the place. He sent Officer Irwin to do the job, but even this well-decorated officer wasn’t prepared for what they were about to discover.
Inspecting the Fast-Food Chain
Officer Irwin went into the old KFC alone, and he didn’t think he would need any backup. After all, what kind of criminal would hide inside an abandoned fast-food chain, right? However, he would soon regret this decision a few minutes after he went inside.
What he saw was normal for a building that had been abandoned for years and years. The paint on the walls was peeling off, and there were old fryers that didn’t seem to be working anymore. Although something on the floor caught his eye, he opened it up and had the shock of a lifetime…
Things Didn’t Make Sense
Upon opening the tarp laid on the floor, Officer Irwin was shocked to discover that it was covering a very deep tunnel. He had no idea where it led to, but he had a hunch – and it wasn’t a good one. The officer knew that he had to go through it and explore, but he wanted to do something beforehand.
Officer Irwin took his phone and called his station for backup. His colleague said, “Copy that, sir. We’ll be there in a few minutes; just stay where you are.” As he was looking at the tunnel, his curiosity got the better of him, and he decided to go inside without waiting for his co-officers.
Where Did the Tunnel Lead To?
He had no idea where to tunnel led to, but deep inside, he thought he had a pretty good guess. The tunnel was dark, and it wasn’t that wide – it was just big enough for a single person to walk inside. Maybe that was exactly what it was built for, but there were other questions in his mind.
The officer wanted to know who built this tunnel and what they used it for. Although, before he even reached the middle of the way, something caught his attention. People were going after him, and he had no idea who these people were…
A Shocking Discovery
There were various footsteps going after him, and he wanted to run – at the same time, he needed answers. So instead of running for safety, he shouted, “Who’s there?” Thankfully, it was his co-officers who were there as his backup.
The rest of the team walked through the tunnel while the others waited by the entrance. They had to be sure that there was somebody watching the entryway just in case somebody tried to block them from getting out. Upon reaching the end of the tunnel, they opened the passage door and were surprised at what awaited them.
Ending Up in Mexico
The end of the tunnel opened up to a random house in Mexico. Officer Irwin said, “I had a feeling that this would lead us somewhere in Mexico, but I didn’t expect that we’d end up in a random person’s house.” Then one of his co-officers asked him, “What if this isn’t some random person’s house?”
The group walked around the house and realized that some of the photos on the walls contained a very familiar person. They couldn’t quite put their finger on who this familiar face was. However, a light bulb moment appeared in Officer Irwin’s brain, and he said, “This guy is Iván López!”
Putting the Puzzle Together
Iván López was a fugitive that was believed to be part of the cartel, and it seemed that he had powerful allies both in the United States of America and in Mexico. A few weeks before, he was arrested for trying to cross the border with illegal substances on his car.
Since then, Iván had been in jail without bail, and all he could do was await his sentencing. However, this didn’t stop him from doing the job he came here to do. So he bought the old KFC in Arizona to speed up his drug transactions.
A Hideout for the Cartel
It had already been months since Iván bought the old fast-food chain in Arizona, and the police had no idea it was happening right under their noses. If they didn’t get an anonymous call from a concerned local, they wouldn’t even raid it.
Most of the officers felt bad, but they decided that feeling sorry for a job they failed to do was worse than doing what they actually could do. So they inspected more of the neglected fast-food chain and kept it under surveillance. The police arrested anybody seen going in and out of that KFC.
The Authorities Shut It Down
A few weeks later, the authorities finally shut down the old KFC. The locals knew that they were safe again, and they were happy even though their beloved fast-food chain wasn’t coming back for good.
Officer Brown and Officer Irwin thought they all did a great job keeping Arizona safe. So they kept an eye on any dilapidated warehouse or any abandoned establishment, just in case Iván’s allies moved somewhere else. You see, tunnels connecting the United States of America to Mexico weren’t that uncommon…
It Wasn’t Very Unusual
In Arizona alone, tunnels connecting the United States of America to Mexico weren’t that uncommon. Countless tunnels had been discovered that had the purpose of transporting illegal men and substances across the borders. They knew that they couldn’t get past the border police, so they came up with another way.
While this isn’t unusual, the border police had been doing a great job figuring out where these tunnels had been located. They wanted to ensure that the locals were safe, so they always did their best when it came to these kinds of raids. Although, they knew that this wouldn’t be the very last.
Not Everything is What it Seems
The tunnel they found at KFC wouldn’t be the very last that they would see; all border police officers knew that. However, they are all ready for what’s to come, and they would go through as many tunnels as possible to keep fugitives at bay.
This story is both shocking and scary, especially if you think that there’s an underground cartel going on in your city. What do you think of this story, and what would you do if you were a local in a town like this?