Four suspects charged after one-ton cocaine bust reveals US-Mexico tunnel

Key Points:

• Four suspects, including two Mexican nationals and two Americans, were charged with trafficking over one ton of cocaine for the Jalisco New Generation cartel using a fake retail store in San Diego as a front for a sophisticated cross-border tunnel to Tijuana, Mexico.
• The suspects, aged 18 to 32, face conspiracy charges and potential life sentences; one suspect, Gregorio Epifanio Hernandez Lopez, is also charged with constructing and using unauthorized tunnels.
• Homeland Security Investigations began surveilling the San Diego store "Buy 4 Less" near the Otay Mesa border crossing in December 2023, suspecting it housed a tunnel due to unusual activity such as men carrying seemingly empty suitcases across the border.
• On May 29, law enforcement stopped vehicles loading deep freezers filled with drug packages, resulting in the seizure of over 2,250 pounds of cocaine and arrests of the suspects.
• A search of the store revealed a 55-foot deep, 1,000-foot long tunnel equipped with a hydraulic lift, rail system, electricity, and ventilation, extending into Tijuana, marking a significant disruption to the cartel's operations.