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May 19, 2022

Anna Murray 

The United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of California announced on May 16 that it had uncovered the tunnel that runs from Tijuana, Mexico, to a warehouse in San Diego’s Otay Mesa industrial area. The most recent tunnel, discovered on May 13, was a third of a mile long and led to Tijuana. It was roughly six stories deep and 4 feet in diameter. Rail and ventilation systems, electricity and reinforced walls are all included in the 61-foot-long tunnel.

The tunnel was discovered while officials began searching the area for drugs. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) carried out drug searches on various homes where drugs were suspected to be hidden. Authorities were conducting surveillance on a suspected stash house, then went to the nondescript warehouse named “Amistad Park” and uncovered the tunnel.

In connection with the investigation, they seized 1,762 pounds of cocaine, 165 pounds of meth, and 3.5 pounds of heroin. Six individuals, ranging in age from 31 to 55, have been charged with conspiracy to distribute cocaine. All of them live in Southern California.

Around 15 sophisticated tunnels have been discovered along California's border with Mexico since 2006.The discovery of such a massive 1,700-foot cross-border tunnel used by drug traffickers to get drugs into the United States, according to Republican Representative August Pfluger of Texas in Congress, is a wake-up call for politicians in Washington, D.C. to pass legislation to resolve the problem.