US DHS busts sophisticated Tijuana‑San Diego drug tunnel

The Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Tunnel Task Force uncovered a 1,933‑foot cross‑border tunnel linking Tijuana, Mexico, to a retail store called “Buy 4 Less” near San Diego’s Otay Mesa Port of Entry. The tunnel was reinforced with four‑and‑a‑half‑foot‑thick walls, a rail system, ventilation and electricity, and ran about 55 feet beneath the store’s floor.

Four suspects – two Americans, Gregorio Epifanio Hernandez Lopez and Jose Jimenez, and two Mexican nationals, Brandon Escalante Sandoval and Antonio Cortez – were charged with conspiracy to use the tunnel and to import controlled substances after more than a ton (over 1,000 kg) of cocaine, valued at $45 million, was seized from vehicles linked to the operation. Acting Special Agent in Charge Kevin Murphy said the bust dealt a “significant blow to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel.”

Law‑enforcement surveillance began in December 2025 after noticing minimal customer traffic and the movement of empty suitcases at the store. On May 29 2026 agents observed suspects loading heavy items into a van, transferring them to a truck and then to deep freezers suspected of holding drug packages. A San Diego County Sheriff’s K9 unit helped confirm the presence of controlled substances, leading to the seizure of more than 2,200 pounds of cocaine.