A sophisticated underground tunnel stretching beneath the U.S.-Mexico border and ending inside a California storefront was allegedly used to move more than $45 million worth of cocaine into the United States, authorities said, exposing one of the latest high-value drug trafficking routes uncovered along the border.
The subterranean passageway, which stretches from the Mexican city of Tijuana to an outlet in the Otay Mesa Port of Entry, is estimated to be 1,933 feet (590 meters) long, 55 feet (16.8 meters) deep and up to 4.5 feet (1.4 meters) in height.
U.S. investigators say it has reinforced walls, rail and ventilation systems, an electricity supply, and was accessed using a hydraulic lift.
Video released by the U.S. Justice Department shows apparently well-made concrete steps leading into the tunnel, which appears to be hewn from rock and has a concrete floor.
Homeland Security federal drug investigators spent months watching the comings and goings of people around a "Buy 4 Less" retail store on the U.S. side of the border.
When they pounced, they found more than 1,000 kilograms (over 2,200 pounds) of cocaine that they believe had been transported through the tunnel and loaded onto trucks.
"Criminal organizations continue to look for ways to exploit our border, but they underestimate the determination of the men and women protecting it," said Justin De La Torre, chief patrol agent for the Border Patrol's San Diego sector.
"This tunnel's discovery is a testament to our strong partnerships and the unwavering commitment of law enforcement on both sides of the border."
Four people – two from San Diego and two from Mexico – have been charged in connection with the alleged importation of drugs.
The Justice Department says 99 subterranean passages have been discovered in the Southern District of California since 1993.
Of those, 28 were considered sophisticated. The last time an operational tunnel was discovered in the area was in 2022.
