Authorities uncover a cross-border drug smuggling tunnel in San Diego that runs from Mexico into the United States beneath a fake convenience store, according to the Department of Justice and reports from multiple outlets. The operation is discovered after a Homeland Security investigation that authorities describe as spanning months. The tunnel is connected to a retail location intended to conceal smuggling activity.
Officials say four suspects are charged in connection with the alleged scheme. The group includes two Americans and two Mexicans, who are accused of using the underground passage to move drugs into the U.S. from Tijuana, Mexico.
As part of the case, authorities seize more than a ton of cocaine. CBS News reports the cocaine’s estimated value is about $45 million. The reporting agrees on the core elements of the case: a hidden, cross-border tunnel under a counterfeit storefront in San Diego, the seizure of a large quantity of cocaine, and federal charges against four individuals.
