Agents from the U.S. Border Patrol have discovered a vast drug smuggling tunnel that stretches almost 3,000 feet from Mexico into San Diego, revealing yet another intricate attempt by cartels to cross our southern border. The tunnel, which has lighting, ventilation, electrical wiring, and a rail system, shows how far criminal organizations will go to compromise border security and bring lethal drugs into our communities. This finding coincides with mounting worries about how the Biden administration is managing border security and the growing dangers posed by criminal cartels that operate freely along our southern border.
Sophisticated Underground Passage Discovered by Border Patrol
In early April, the San Diego Sector Tunnel Team discovered an unfinished narcotics smuggling tunnel extending from Tijuana to underneath the Otay Mesa Port of Entry. The highly sophisticated passage stretched more than 1,000 feet inside U.S. territory, measuring about 40 inches in height and 30 inches in width, and reached depths of approximately 50 feet below ground level.
U.S. Border Patrol agents have discovered and disabled a highly sophisticated, large-scale drug smuggling tunnel running from Tijuana, Mexico, into the Otay Mesa area of San Diego, authorities announced Wednesday. https://t.co/WZA26a1feR
— KGET 17 News (@KGETnews) June 20, 2025
The tunnel featured professional-grade construction, including electrical wiring, lighting systems, ventilation, and even a track system designed for efficiently transporting contraband across the border. Tunnel workers strategically placed makeshift barricades to hinder law enforcement’s progress and conceal the tunnel’s Mexican point of origin, demonstrating the criminal organization’s determination to evade detection.
Mexican Origin Point Hidden in Residential Home
After discovering the tunnel, U.S. authorities promptly notified their Mexican counterparts, leading to a search warrant that uncovered its origin. The entrance was cleverly concealed under freshly laid tile in a residential home in Nueva Tijuana, showing the lengths cartels will go to hide their operations within ordinary neighborhoods.
Border Patrol agents uncovered a 2,918-foot-long 'narcotics smuggling tunnel' extending from Tijuana, Mexico to a warehouse in San Diego, California.
The tunnel is 50-feet underground & spans more than 1,000 feet into U.S. territory. It has a track system for 'transporting… pic.twitter.com/CEmF9zhhHC
— Katelyn Caralle (@Katelyn_Caralle) June 19, 2025
According to border security expert Victor Clark, the location was strategically chosen due to specific advantages that help mask illegal activities. “The type of soil, the urban noise, the traffic in the area, we have a port of entry where not only vehicles cross daily—thousands of them—but pedestrians and trucks also cross to the U.S. And also, we have an international airport on the Mexican side with around 103 flights daily,” Clark explained.
Border Security Victory Amid Growing Threats
This tunnel marks one of more than 95 cross-border passages discovered and decommissioned in the San Diego area since 1993. To prevent future use of this passage, U.S. Customs and Border Protection plans to fill the tunnel with thousands of pounds of concrete, permanently sealing this particular route for drug smuggling.
“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 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 and the cooperation of our Mexican law enforcement partners,” said Jeffrey D. Stalnaker, Acting Chief Patrol Agent of the San Diego Sector.
Border security experts note that while tunnels have become increasingly sophisticated since the early 2000s, they’ve recently been a less common method for drug transportation. However, the DEA suggests cartels might be returning to tunnel construction due to increased pressure on smugglers at ports of entry, highlighting the ongoing cat-and-mouse game between law enforcement and criminal organizations operating at our southern border.
The tunnel’s predicted exit point was near or within a commercial warehouse space in San Diego, a common tactic used by cartels to disguise their operations within legitimate business areas. This discovery underscores the importance of continued vigilance and investment in border security technologies and personnel to protect American communities from the influx of dangerous narcotics and potential threats from foreign terrorist organizations seeking to exploit vulnerabilities along our southern border.
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