Authorities have revealed the discovery of a tunnel linking Tijuana and San Diego, believed to be used for trafficking drugs, weapons, and people across the U.S.-Mexico border. This operation led to the seizure of drugs worth an estimated $45 million.
Federal agents found more than 1,000 pounds of cocaine hidden under the floorboards of a commercial truck entering the U.S. from Mexico. This incident represents one of the largest drug busts in Southern California this year.
The Department of Justice reported that the half-ton of cocaine was uncovered at the Calexico Port of Entry. This port connects California and Mexico. The estimated street value of the seized cocaine exceeds $20 million.
This seizure is noted as the second-largest cocaine bust in the Southern District of California in 2023, according to federal prosecutors.
In a separate case, federal authorities seized over 1,000 pounds of cocaine, valued at more than $20 million, during an inspection at the same port. Jose Manuel Lopez, a 44-year-old Mexican national and the truck’s sole occupant, was arrested and charged with importing cocaine into the U.S. If convicted, Lopez faces a minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum of life in federal prison.
Prosecutors, in court filings requesting Lopez’s detention, described the seized drugs as significant, even by the district’s standards. Earlier in the year, the only larger cocaine seizure was connected to a cross-border drug tunnel, where over a ton of cocaine, valued at $45 million, was found.
The recent incident involved a trailer carrying 269 bundles of rebar. U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers, alongside Homeland Security Investigations and the Drug Enforcement Administration, detected anomalies during an X-ray inspection. A narcotics detection dog further alerted officers to the presence of drugs.
Upon investigation, 366 packages of cocaine weighing more than 1,000 pounds, or approximately 454 kilograms, were discovered beneath the wooden floorboards of the trailer.
Lopez entered a not guilty plea during his initial court appearance. His detention hearing is scheduled for August 3.