DOJ Releases New Details On Massive Drug-Smuggling Tunnel Discovered Between California And Mexico

U.S. border walls need to be built deeper to prevent this from happening.

The U.S. Homeland Security Investigations Tunnel Task Force has arrested four people after they allegedly smuggled cocaine into the U.S. through a sophisticated tunnel system that originated in Mexico.

According to authorities, the tunnel spanned nearly 2,000 feet and had its own railing system.

Take a look:

CBS News reported more on the drug smuggling tunnel:

Four people have been arrested and charged with trafficking more than $45 million in cocaine through an elaborate 2,000-foot-long tunnel between border cities in Mexico and California, complete with electricity, reinforced walls, ventilation and a rail system, according to federal officials.

The tunnel was discovered as part of a monthslong investigation into a warehouse for a supposed discount store, Buy 4 Less, located near the Otay Mesa Port of Entry in San Diego, right across the border from Tijuana, Mexico, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

By the end of the operation, more than a ton of cocaine and the sophisticated tunnel underneath the store were found, officials said.

“For these defendants, it wasn’t a light at the end of the tunnel. It was lights and sirens,” U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon said in a statement.

The U.S. Homeland Security Investigations Tunnel Task Force began surveilling the purported Buy 4 Less store in December 2025 when, federal officials said, a new group of apparent employees was seen in and around the store.

Federal officials keeping an eye on the store noted, “During the surveillance, the activity around the Buy 4 Less location did not appear to be consistent with a normal retail location. For example, investigators observed minimal foot traffic from customers coming in and out of the Buy 4 Less store.”

The DOJ provided a photo of the exit point of the tunnel:

Exit on U.S. side of cross-border tunnel announced today by U.S. Attorney's Office and partners. The subterranean passageway, stretching from Tijuana, Mexico to the purported retail store near the Otay Mesa Port of Entry known as “Buy 4 Less,” is estimated to be about 1,933 feet… pic.twitter.com/xmIq3XGo30

— US Attorney CAS (@SDCAnews) June 2, 2026

Here’s the moment the DOJ made the announcement of the arrests:

Four Charged with Trafficking More Than $45 Million Worth of Cocaine through Sophisticated Cross-Border Tunnel; Discovery Made in Monthslong Homeland Security Task Force Investigation https://t.co/si3qsk0pS5
USA Gordon: “Put directly, cocaine is now the lifeblood of the cartels,… pic.twitter.com/oskFhmMjRK

— US Attorney CAS (@SDCAnews) June 1, 2026

The DOJ has since released the names of the men arrested:

A Homeland Security Task Force federal drug investigation of a supposed retail store in Otay Mesa has resulted in the discovery of a sophisticated cross-border tunnel and charges against four people for conspiring to distribute more than a ton of cocaine estimated to be worth $45 million.

The subterranean passageway, stretching from Tijuana, Mexico to the purported retail store near the Otay Mesa Port of Entry known as “Buy 4 Less,” is estimated to be about 1,933 feet long, 55 feet deep and 4.5-feet in height, with reinforced walls, rail and ventilation systems and electricity.

The defendants include Gregorio Epifanio Hernandez Lopez of San Diego; Brandon Escalante Sandoval of Mexico; Jose Jimenez of San Diego; and Antonio Cortez of Mexico. Hernandez Lopez is charged with Conspiracy to Use a Cross-Border Tunnel and Conspiracy to Import Controlled Substances; all are charged with Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances.

According to a federal complaint, investigators from Homeland Security Investigations Tunnel Task Force maintained regular surveillance on the Buy 4 Less warehouse from December 2025 to May 2026 due to suspicious activity there.

In December 2025, a new group of around seven or eight “employees” were seen regularly, in and around Buy 4 Less. These individuals included defendant Hernandez, whom agents observed at Buy 4 Less beginning in at least January 2026. During the surveillance, the activity around the Buy 4 Less location did not appear to be consistent with a normal retail location. For example, investigators observed minimal foot traffic from customers coming in and out of the Buy 4 Less store.

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Hernandez and the other supposed “employees” that regularly frequented the store engaged in unusual activity such as transporting large numbers of suitcases out of the store and into vehicles or walking the suitcases across the border into Mexico. Based on how Hernandez and the others handled the suitcases, they appeared to be empty so law enforcement did not intervene.

This isn’t the first time a tunnel has been dug in an attempt to smuggle drugs into the United States.

In 2024, Mexican authorities discovered a narco-tunnel intended to reach Arizona.

Newsweek reported more on the tunnel system that was discovered:

A drone has led Mexican authorities to the discovery of a suspected drug tunnel beneath the U.S.-Mexico border, officials reported.

Trump has pledged to crack down on crime syndicates, drug smuggling, and illegal migration as he looks to implement his mass deportation policy.

While the wall remains a focal point in immigration discourse, tunnels like the one uncovered in the city of San Luis Rio Colorado in Mexico, which abuts the U.S. border, show how traffickers adapt to bypass barriers.

The tunnel’s entrance is located in the Mexican city of San Luis Rio Colorado, south of Yuma, near the border and the State Public Security Secretariat of Sonora state shared images of the tunnel on Facebook.

The tunnel was discovered during a joint operation with U.S. Customs and Border Patrol operation, where agents used a drone to locate it just south of the border wall.

Mexican authorities have said that the tunnel was still in its early stages and is suspected to be a “narco tunnel,” likely intended for smuggling drugs or people beneath the border wall.