Tunnel Vision Gets Real In Tijuana: Sophisticated Cross-Border Passage Found Under Discount Store

A sophisticated cross-border tunnel, complete with a hydraulic lift, ventilation, electricity, and reinforced walls, was discovered running from Tijuana to Otay Mesa near the busy San Diego port of entry. U.S.

federal prosecutors announced charges against four men after authorities seized more than one ton of cocaine in connection with the operation. The tunnel's U.S.

exit was hidden beneath the floor of a storage room inside Buy 4 Less, a discount store in Otay Mesa. According to investigators, the entrance was accessed via a hydraulic lift, a far cry from amateur trap doors.

The bust occurred on May 29, 2026, after agents observed suspicious activity around the store and nearby vehicles. Authorities stopped two trucks and a van, finding 851 packages that field-tested positive for cocaine, totaling approximately 1,029.6 kilograms (2,269 pounds), valued at over $45 million.

The tunnel itself was about 55 feet deep and ran roughly 1,064 feet from Buy 4 Less to the international border, continuing an estimated 800 feet into Mexico. Mexican authorities also discovered a tunnel in Tijuana's Nueva Tijuana area, measuring about 265 meters long and 6.3 meters deep, with lighting, ventilation, and an electronic sliding mechanism.

That area sits near Otay, one of the busiest and most watched border zones. Investigators had been monitoring Buy 4 Less for months, noting a group of regular 'employees' but little normal customer traffic.

On May 29, agents saw large, heavy items being loaded into vehicles, leading to the seizure. Deputies with the San Diego County Sheriff's Office stopped the vehicles, and K9 units alerted to possible drugs.

After the cocaine was found, agents searched the store and found the tunnel exit. U.S.

officials described the seizure as a significant blow to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), one of Mexico's most powerful criminal organizations. The four charged men face serious federal drug-trafficking charges, including possible life sentences.

Since 1993, U.S. authorities have found 99 subterranean passages in the Southern District of California, with 28 considered sophisticated.

The last operational tunnel found there was in 2022. This case underscores that tunnels remain a key part of cartel smuggling playbooks.