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.
This undated handout photo released by the U.S. Department of Justice on June 1, 2026, shows a US-Mexico cross-border tunnel, stretching from Tijuana, Mexico to a purported retail store near the Otay Mesa Port of Entry in California. (Photo by Handout / US Department of Justice via AFP)
