Report: Greek News FL
An underground tunnel connecting Tijuana, Mexico, with San Diego, California, has once again exposed the vast and well-organized drug trafficking network on the Mexico-United States border.
According to US federal authorities, the tunnel started in Tijuana and ended at a supposed retail store in the Otay Mesa area, near the border crossing. The store, named Buy 4 Less, allegedly acted as a cover for one of the most organized underground drug trafficking routes identified in recent years.
The case is not about a simple underground passage. Authorities describe a highly organized structure, approximately 100 meters long. 1.933 legs, that is, almost 590 measures, at a depth of approximately 55 legsThe tunnel had reinforced walls, electricity, ventilation and a rail system, evidence of design, money and technical support.
The revelation came after months of investigation by Homeland Security Investigations Tunnel Task Force. Federal agents monitored the store from December 2025 to May 2026, as the activity at the location did not resemble a normal commercial enterprise. There was minimal customer traffic, while people posing as “employees” frequently moved suitcases and items in a manner that aroused suspicion.
On May 29, 2026, authorities observed the removal of large items, including freezers, from the location. The operation resulted in the seizure of more than a ton of cocaine, with an estimated value of over 45 million dollarsFour people are charged with conspiracy to traffic drugs, while one of the defendants also faces a charge related to the use of a cross-border tunnel.
US authorities link the case to the cartel Jalisco New Generation Cartel, one of Mexico's most powerful and violent criminal networks. This report shows that the tunnels are not random constructions of small groups, but part of a broader organized crime system that has funding, infrastructure and international routes.
The discovery has significant implications for American security. It's not just drugs crossing the border. It's a parallel, underground trafficking network operating under the watchful eye of authorities, utilizing storefronts, warehouses, vehicles, suitcases, refrigerators, and organized transport groups.
For the United States, the case reopens the debate over border security, cartels' responsibility, cooperation with Mexico and the question of how many more such crossings may exist undetected. The San Diego and Tijuana area has historically preoccupied authorities with similar cases, as it is a crucial point for drug trafficking to the American market.
Drug trafficking is not just a criminal issue. It is a public health, national security, and social safety issue. Every shipment that crosses the border feeds a chain that reaches American cities, neighborhoods, and families. Behind every such tunnel is not only the profit of the cartels, but also human lives destroyed by addiction, violence, and organized crime.
This case shows how sophisticated the methods of trafficking networks have become. They are no longer content with simple transport through vehicles or border crossings. They are building infrastructure, creating commercial windows, using technology and investing large sums to keep an illegal trade worth billions alive.
The question that remains is simple and weighty: how deep does this underground trade actually go? And how many more routes, literally and figuratively, remain hidden beneath borders?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JbOH2EI1JhU
video source FRANCE 24 English
Πηγές:
US Department of Justice — US Attorney's Office, Southern District of California
The Guardian
CBS News
ABC7 Chicago
photo Greek News FL
