Tijuana — U.S. and Mexican authorities unveiled an underground drug smuggling tunnel stretching 1,400 meters from a warehouse in Tijuana to a San Diego neighbourhood Monday, the longest such tunnel discovered in over a decade and a stark reminder that border-crossing criminal infrastructure remains undiminished despite heightened security.
The passage, equipped with reinforced concrete walls, forced-air ventilation, and an industrial rail system, was discovered during a joint operation by DEA agents and Mexico’s National Guard. Authorities seized 14 metric tons of methamphetamine and fentanyl pills destined for U.S. markets along the tunnel’s floor.
At least nine suspects were arrested across both cities, including three U.S. citizens and a Mexican army deserter alleged to have provided inside information on border patrol schedules. Prosecutors said the network moved an estimated 22 tons of narcotics through similar tunnels over the past three years.
The timing is sensitive: the tunnel’s discovery comes as U.S.-Mexico security cooperation faces fresh scrutiny following Mexico City’s decision to suspend antinarcotics intelligence-sharing in April over tariff disputes. U.S. officials privately acknowledged the suspension has complicated border operations.
Infrastructure and Scale
Engineers who inspected the tunnel described it as the most sophisticated smuggling conduit discovered since a 1,800-meter passage found in 2014 connecting an Arizona warehouse to a Sonora settlement. That tunnel used a diesel locomotive on a repurposed rail line.
The Tijuana passage’s rail system was electric, powered by a direct tap into San Diego’s municipal grid — an arrangement that would have required months of preparation and coordination with local utilities. Investigators are examining whether corrupt municipal workers facilitated the hookup.
Border officials say at least six other tunnel-like structures have been detected but not fully mapped since January, suggesting the network discovered Monday may be one node in a larger system.
Diplomatic Fallout
Mexico’s President Sheinbaum called the seizure “proof of the capacity of Mexican institutions to act” and said her government had sought cooperation with Washington for the operation. The State Department confirmed the tunnel operation proceeded without the formal intelligence-sharing channel suspended in April, using bilateral law enforcement contacts instead.
Diego Vargas, Media Hook.