US Homeland Security agencies launched a major operation to dismantle a secret underground tunnel linking Mexico and the US, used to transport cocaine valued at over $45 million (approximately 1.47 billion baht). Four suspects have been charged after months of investigation revealed the tunnel was equipped with electrical systems, conveyor rails, and full ventilation.
US officials disclosed key developments in a transnational drug trafficking investigation after the Homeland Security Task Force uncovered a large secret underground tunnel connecting Tijuana, Mexico, with the Otay Mesa area of San Diego, California. Four suspects were arrested on charges of conspiracy to smuggle and distribute narcotics.
The tunnel is approximately 589 meters long, nearly 17 meters deep, and about 1.4 meters high. It is outfitted with electrical wiring, ventilation, conveyor rails, and reinforced walls. The tunnel links from Tijuana to a store named "Buy 4 Less" near the Otay Mesa border crossing, one of the busiest US border points.
The four suspects include Gregorio Epifanio Hernandez Lopez and Jose Jimenez, residents of San Diego, as well as Brandon Escalante Sandoval and Antonio Cortez from Mexico. Hernandez faces additional charges for conspiracy to use a cross-border tunnel and import illegal drugs.
The investigation began in December 2025 after authorities noticed unusual activity at the Buy 4 Less store, which had almost no customers but saw a steady flow of individuals entering and exiting, frequently carrying large suitcases and crossing the border into Mexico.
A breakthrough occurred on 29 May when officials observed large freezers and suspicious packages being moved between several vehicles nearby. Police and sniffer dogs conducted a search and discovered a massive quantity of hidden cocaine.
Upon searching two trucks and one van, authorities found 851 packages of cocaine weighing a total of 1,029 kilograms, or over one ton, with an estimated market value of about $45 million.
Following the drug seizure, the court approved search warrants for the Buy 4 Less store and another related building. Authorities uncovered the tunnel’s exit hidden beneath a storage room floor, accessible via a complex hydraulic lift system.
Kevin Murphy, Acting Special Agent for the Homeland Security Investigations in San Diego, described the operation as a major blow to the "Jalisco New Generation" drug cartel, one of Mexico's most powerful transnational criminal organizations.
US Border Patrol and San Diego Sheriff's Office officials emphasized that inter-agency cooperation was crucial in successfully dismantling the cross-border drug trafficking network.
US government data indicates that since 1993, 99 cross-border underground tunnels have been discovered in Southern California, with 28 classified as highly sophisticated. The most recent active tunnel was found in 2022.
The four suspects are scheduled to appear in court in San Diego to face charges, while investigations continue to expand into associated drug trafficking networks.