The FBI is investigating after an underground tunnel leading to a Florida bank was found – but officials have no clue who dug it or when. FBI special agent Michael Leverock told reporters Wednesday that public works employees in Pembroke Pines got a call the previous night about a sinkhole in a road near a Chase Bank branch. After an entrance near a wooded area and some equipment was found, Pembroke Pines police called in the FBI. "This is truly a unique case here," Leverock said. "I would like to say that I saw something like this in movies, however, this hole is so small that – it's unique." The tunnel is no more than 2- to 3-feet in diameter and "very claustrophobic," Leverock said. He estimated the entrance was about 50 yards from the bank, and said officials were still digging but that whoever was responsible did not penetrate the bank. Authorities also found a power cord, a winch, a small generator and other items the FBI did not reveal near the entrance. Leverock said the tunnel's diggers appeared to have used pick axes and wagons to clear the dirt, but many questions remain about how the hole was dug given its size. "I don't know how they did it. I would like to put it into words for you. But it is so cramped in there, and that wagon is – I mean it's a puzzle. I can't imagine how they did it," he said. No bodies were found, no arrests have been made and Leverock said he wasn't certain when the tunnel was last worked on. "I'd like to talk to 'em," he repeated. One thing Leverock did say with certainty: "They were heading towards the bank, and that's for sure." The FBI is asking anyone with information to call 754-703-2000. Follow USA TODAY's Ryan Miller on Twitter @RyanW_Miller<doc-sep>There was no masked robber with a threatening note for the bank teller, no bag bulging with cash, no getaway car. Instead, whoever appeared to have plotted a heist at a Chase bank in Pembroke Pines, Fla., chose a rather unglamorous, subterranean approach. The plan involved a narrow, 150-foot-long tunnel dug into the dirt. Officials discovered the tunnel on Tuesday night after public works employees in Pembroke Pines, about 20 miles north of Miami, went to deal with a sinkhole in the road. Curiously, the workers found a power cord inside it. Realizing it was a tunnel, they eventually called the local police, who notified the F.B.I. on Wednesday morning. F.B.I. investigators found that the tunnel had a diameter of about three feet and opened up into a wooded area, Special Agent Michael D. Leverock said in an interview on Wednesday evening. It was so narrow that a person would have to lie on his or her stomach to navigate it, Agent Leverock said.<doc-sep>What drivers believed to be a large pothole in the middle of the road in Pembroke Pines, Florida, turned out to be a hidden underground tunnel that authorities believe may lead to a nearby bank. The FBI has joined local police in an investigation into the newly discovered tunnel, which reportedly stretches about 50 yards. It's at least two feet in diameter. Police officers were responding to a concerned driver's call about a hole in the road close to a Chase bank on Flamingo Road and Pines Boulevard Wednesday afternoon when they made the shocking find, WSVN reports. Authorities told the news station it appears the start of the tunnel is located in a wooded area close to the bank. GAS STATION CLERK PUTS WOULD-BE ROBBERY SUSPECT IN CHOKEHOLD According to WPLG, part of the entrance of the tunnel was hidden by a wooden pallet. When they removed the piece of wood, police said they found a pair of mud-covered boots, a ladder, a small electric generator, electrical cords and other tools. "The only thing I've ever seen like this is in the movies. This is truly a unique case here." — Mike Leverock "The only thing I've ever seen like this is in the movies. This is truly a unique case here," FBI spokesman Mike Leverock said of the discovery. "It's very small, very claustrophobic." Investigators said the tunnel appeared to be dug by hand using tools such as a pickaxe, with a small wagon used to transport dirt and rock outside, Leverock added. CAR PLUMMETS DOWN ELEVATOR SHAFT, BURSTS INTO FLAMES AT MIAMI PARKING GARAGE Video of the scene shows officers examining the hole which is now blocked off. Officials plan to dig up the tunnel to better understand its purpose. "It's going to be a while. We're going to dig up the whole thing," Leverock said, noting officials have brought in heavy construction equipment to speed up the process. The Chase branch said it would remain open, though its drive-through will be temporarily closed as officials continue to investigate the matter. It remains unclear if someone was trying to rob the bank and no suspects have been identified at this time. A cadaver dog determined there were no bodies inside the tunnel. The FBI asked anyone with information about the tunnel or anyone who may have noticed people in the area during the night to contact the bureau's South Florida field office at 754-703-2000. The Associated Press contributed to this report.<doc-sep>
PEMBROKE PINES, Fla. -- The FBI and local police are investigating a Miami-area mystery: Who dug a narrow tunnel that burrowed beneath a road and pointed toward a quiet suburban bank branch office?FBI spokesman Mike Leverock said Wednesday that officials were notified after a motorist reported what looked like a sinkhole in a street near a Chase Bank branch in Pembroke Pines.Investigators found an entrance hole in a nearby wooded area that contained a small electric generator and some electrical cords. The tunnel led under the road toward the bank, a distance of about 50 yards (45 meters) and it was only about 2 feet (60 centimeters) wide. "The only thing I've ever seen like this is in the movies. This is truly a unique case here," Leverock said. "It's very small, very claustrophobic. "Investigators said the tunnel appeared to be dug by hand using tools such as a pickaxe, with a small wagon used to transport dirt and rock outside, Leverock said. A small ladder and a pair of muddy boots were also found inside.A cadaver dog determined there were no bodies inside the tunnel. It wasn't immediately clear how long the underground structure had been there. "They could have been here a week ago, last night. We don't know at this time," Leverock said.Heavy equipment, including a backhoe, was brought in to dig up the tunnel. "It's going to be a while," Leverock said of the investigation. "We're going to dig up the whole thing. "There was no robbery at the bank, no arrests have been made and no suspects were immediately identified. The bank remained open Wednesday, although some drive-up windows near the tunnel were closed.Pembroke Pines is about 20 miles (32 kilometers) southwest of Fort Lauderdale.-----