U.S. federal prosecutors have charged four men after authorities uncovered a cross-border Tijuana drug tunnel running from the Nueva Tijuana neighborhood to a fake discount store called Buy 4 Less in Otay Mesa. The passage, roughly 55 feet deep and over 1,000 feet long on the U.S. side, was equipped with lighting, ventilation, reinforced walls, and a hydraulic lift hidden beneath the store’s floor. On May 29, agents intercepted vehicles leaving the site and seized 851 packages of cocaine weighing about 1,030 kilograms (2,269 pounds), valued at more than $45 million. U.S. officials linked the operation to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, known as CJNG.
99th Tunnel Found in Southern California Federal District Since 1993
This tunnel is the 99th subterranean passage discovered in the U.S. Southern District of California since 1993. Of those 99, authorities have classified 28 as “sophisticated,” meaning they featured engineering elements like rail systems, electricity, or ventilation. The last operational tunnel found in the district was in 2022, when agents discovered a passage near the same Otay Mesa industrial zone.
The Otay Mesa corridor has long been the epicenter of tunnel activity. The area’s geography helps explain why: flat terrain, deep clay soil that holds its shape during excavation, and dense clusters of industrial warehouses on both sides of the border that provide cover for construction. Most of the major tunnel discoveries since the early 2000s have been concentrated in a zone stretching roughly two miles east of the Otay Mesa Port of Entry.
Tunnel engineering has grown more complex over the decades. Early discoveries in the 1990s were often crude passages barely tall enough to crawl through. By the 2000s, cartels were installing rail cars, hydraulic elevators, and reinforced concrete walls. A tunnel found in 2020 stretched more than 4,300 feet, making it the longest ever discovered along the Southwest border at that time. That passage also exited through a warehouse in the Otay Mesa industrial park.
FGR Confirmed Matching Tunnel on Mexico’s Side
On the Mexican side, the FGR (Mexico’s federal attorney general’s office) reported finding the corresponding tunnel entrance in Tijuana’s Nueva Tijuana neighborhood. The Mexican portion measured about 265 meters (869 feet) long and 6.3 meters (roughly 21 feet) deep. It was equipped with lighting, ventilation, and an electronic sliding access mechanism that operated in both directions.
Nueva Tijuana sits just south of the Otay border crossing, one of the busiest commercial ports of entry in the Western Hemisphere. More than 70,000 vehicles cross through Otay Mesa daily, carrying billions of dollars in legitimate trade each year. The tunnel ran directly beneath one of the most heavily monitored stretches of border in the region.
Investigators had been watching Buy 4 Less for months before the bust. They noticed a group of regular “employees” but almost no customer traffic. On May 29, agents observed large, heavy items being loaded into vehicles outside the store. Surveillance tracked the movement of vans, trucks, and deep freezers. Agents also noted a man on a bicycle conducting apparent counter-surveillance of the area.
San Diego County Sheriff’s deputies stopped the vehicles. K-9 units alerted to possible narcotics. After the cocaine was found, agents searched the Buy 4 Less building and discovered the tunnel exit concealed under the floor.
CJNG’s Growing Presence in the Tijuana Corridor
The U.S. government’s decision to link this tunnel to CJNG carries weight. For years, the Tijuana corridor was dominated by the Arellano Félix Organization and later by the Sinaloa Cartel. CJNG, based in Jalisco and led by Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes (alias “El Mencho”), expanded aggressively into Baja California starting around 2018. The cartel has been fighting for control of trafficking routes in Tijuana, Ensenada, and Mexicali.
CJNG’s presence in the Otay corridor adds a layer of tension to an already contested territory. The cartel has been designated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration as one of the two most dangerous criminal organizations in Mexico. Its operations span fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine, and heroin trafficking across multiple U.S. border sectors.
The four men charged in this case face federal drug-trafficking counts that carry potential life sentences upon conviction. All four are presumed innocent unless proven guilty. Court documents did not specify whether any of the defendants hold Mexican or U.S. citizenship.
Cross-border commuters who use the Otay Mesa Port of Entry can expect heightened security screenings in the coming weeks as U.S. Customs and Border Protection typically increases inspections after major tunnel discoveries. Wait times at the Otay crossing, already averaging 45 to 90 minutes during peak hours, could increase. The San Ysidro crossing may also see spillover delays.
Authorities have not announced any additional arrests on the Mexican side. The FGR’s investigation remains open. The next federal court hearing for the four U.S. defendants has not yet been publicly scheduled.