Hidden tunnel discovered in Tijuana may have supported cross-border trafficking operations
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In a significant find near the U.S.-Mexico border, Mexican officials have unveiled a highly advanced underground tunnel. This passage, thought to link Tijuana with a San Diego street, was outfitted with lighting, ventilation, and a mechanical transport system.

The Mexican Attorney General’s Office, referred to as the FGR, revealed this discovery on Saturday after executing a search warrant at a location in Tijuana’s Nueva Tijuana neighborhood, situated in Baja California.

Authorities reported that the tunnel extended roughly 265 meters, equivalent to about 870 feet, and was situated approximately 6.3 meters, or 21 feet, beneath the surface.

Investigators noted the tunnel’s sophisticated setup, featuring functional lighting and ventilation, along with an electronic system designed to transport materials back and forth between Mexico and the United States.

Mexican Criminal Investigation Agency (AIC) officers are currently examining what is believed to be the entrance to this elaborate cross-border tunnel discovered in Tijuana, Baja California. Officials highlighted the tunnel’s advanced features, including lighting and a transport mechanism.

This discovery was the result of intelligence efforts by the FGR’s Criminal Investigation Agency, working in conjunction with Mexico’s Security Cabinet.

Officials said the search warrant was executed as part of an investigation into alleged violations of Mexico’s firearms and explosives laws as well as drug-related offenses.

Authorities said they believe the property may have functioned as a storage, logistics and trafficking center for firearms, explosives and illicit drugs.

Mexican federal agents move through an underground tunnel discovered in Tijuana near the U.S.-Mexico border. Authorities said the passageway was used to support criminal smuggling operations. (FGR)

Photos released by the FGR appear to show agents navigating the underground passageway, access points leading into the tunnel and evidence recovered during the operation.

Investigators said they recovered ammunition, suspected methamphetamine, suspected marijuana, cell phones and various documents from the property.

Images released by Mexican authorities also appear to show ventilation infrastructure inside the tunnel, underscoring what officials described as a sophisticated operation.

A ladder and access shaft are seen inside a property where Mexican authorities uncovered a sophisticated tunnel in Tijuana. (FGR)

The FGR said its investigation indicates the tunnel likely connects to a street in San Diego, though authorities have not publicly identified the location or confirmed whether the U.S. side of the tunnel has been located.

The tunnel discovery comes as U.S. authorities announced charges against four individuals accused of trafficking more than a ton of cocaine through a sophisticated cross-border tunnel stretching between Tijuana and San Diego.

According to federal prosecutors in San Diego, the tunnel extended approximately 1,933 feet, reached a depth of about 55 feet and was equipped with reinforced walls, electricity, ventilation systems and rail infrastructure.

Small purple-wrapped packages and a bag containing suspected marijuana displayed on a table.

Suspected narcotics recovered during the tunnel investigation are displayed by Mexican authorities. Investigators said they also seized ammunition, cell phones and documents during the operation. (FGR)

Federal investigators said the tunnel connected Tijuana to a storefront in Otay Mesa known as “Buy 4 Less,” where agents discovered a concealed exit point hidden beneath the floor of a storage room.

Authorities seized approximately 1,029 kilograms, or more than 2,269 pounds, of suspected cocaine during the investigation, an amount prosecutors estimated was worth roughly $45 million.

Homeland Security Investigations said the seizure dealt a significant blow to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, one of Mexico’s most powerful criminal organizations.

The investigation resulted in charges against four suspects accused of using the tunnel to move narcotics into the U.S.

Federal officials said the tunnel was discovered after months of surveillance that began in late 2025 and culminated in coordinated enforcement actions on May 29.

Officials described the discovery as a significant blow to criminal organizations that rely on underground smuggling routes to move narcotics and other contraband across the border.

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

The evidence and property have been turned over to federal prosecutors in Baja California, who will continue the investigation.

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