Feds say they shut down secret drug tunnel connecting Tijuana to San Diego

Border patrol agents shut down a more than half-mile tunnel linking Tijuana to San Diego

one of nearly 100 illicit underground passageways discovered in the San Diego area since 1993

Federal authorities say the tunnel, 50 feet underground, was used by gangs to smuggle drugs

into the U.S. In a statement Wednesday, the acting chief border agent in San Diego said

as we continue to strengthen the nation's air and maritime border security, it's not surprising

that foreign terrorist organizations would resort to underground routes. Disruption of narcotic

smuggling tunnels is critical to protecting American lives. Authorities say the tunnel

connects a home in Tijuana to a commercial warehouse in San Diego County, about 1,000

feet north of the border. The tunnel is 42 inches high and 28 inches wide, complete with lighting

vents and a track system to move cargo and is designed to accommodate large shipments of

contraband Border Patrol agents first discovered the tunnel in April when it was still under construction but they didn locate its point of origin until this week Workers placed barricades to obstruct law enforcement efforts Eventually Mexican federal agents and California law

enforcement officers accessed the tunnel after executing a search warrant, citing crime against

national health, according to a post on X by Mexico's Secretary of Security and Civilian

Protection. The Border Patrol reports the main access point to the tunnel in Tijuana had been

hidden under a tile that had recently been placed over it. Mexico's security cabinet says

it also seized a package filled with methamphetamine inside the tunnel. Officials plan to pour thousands of gallons of concrete into the tunnel to permanently halt

drug operations. Authorities discovered a similar tunnel in 2022 in the San Diego area

which was nearly 2,000 feet long and 60 feet deep. That tunnel featured reinforced walls and

a rail system. Six people linked to the drug operations in the tunnel were charged with

conspiracy to distribute nearly a ton of cocaine, according to federal prosecutors

For more on this story, download the Straight Hour News app or visit san.com. For Straight Hour News, I'm Kaylee Carey