By Steve Neavling
Federal agents have shut down a nearly 3,000-foot-long tunnel connecting Tijuana and San Diego that officials say was being built to smuggle drugs into the U.S.
The passage, discovered in April and mapped in recent days, stretched 2,918 feet — more than 1,000 of those on the U.S. side — and ran 50 feet underground beneath the Otay Mesa port of entry. It linked a home in Tijuana’s Nueva Tijuana neighborhood to a commercial warehouse in San Diego County.
The tunnel was equipped with lighting, ventilation, electrical wiring, and a track system, according to Border Patrol. Agents said they encountered barricades placed by workers to obstruct the investigation.
The tunnel’s entrance was concealed under freshly laid tile, and Mexican authorities recovered a package of methamphetamine from the site, officials 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,” Jeffrey D. Stalnaker, acting chief patrol agent for the San Diego Sector, said in a statement. “Disruption of narcotics smuggling tunnels is critical to protecting American lives. I’m grateful for the exceptional work of the Tunnel Team agents who placed themselves in danger, as well as the cooperation of our Mexican law enforcement partners.”
Border officials say more than 95 cross-border tunnels have been uncovered in the San Diego area since 1993. A similar passage discovered in 2022 led to federal charges against six people accused of conspiring to distribute nearly a ton of cocaine.
Authorities plan to fill the tunnel with concrete to prevent further use.
