Staggering footage shows 2,000ft-long tunnel from Mexico to US discovered behind fake store
Incredible video shows an enormous tunnel which ran underneath the border between the US and Mexico, following a multi-million dollar drugs bust.
Law enforcement officers seized drugs worth some $45 million in the bust, and then uncovered the underground passage.
The tunnel was highly sophisticated, and was built with rail system as well as ventilation and reinforced walls.
These features were necessary as the passage ran for an astonishing 2,000ft underground, over a third of a mile.
Advert
It runs from Tijuana in Mexico, passing underneath the border before popping up in San Diego in California behind a seemingly innocuous store front called 'Buy 4 Less'.
Video footage from inside the tunnel shows a set of steps which have put in place leading down to the main passage.
This has a set of rails set into the ground, along with pipes, and electric lights placed at intervals along it as it continues off in a straight line.
The tunnel was used to smuggle drugs over the border, with the rails assisting its users with hauling large quantities at a time.
Officers working on the drugs teams in Homeland Security launched an investigation in co-operation with Mexican authorities which led to the discovery of the entryway in the fake discount store in Otay Mesa, with surveillance beginning back in December 2025.
Images taken from inside the store show that the tunnel was accessed underneath a large stone floor tile in one of the rooms.
The entrance was perfectly sized to line up with the decorative tiles, meaning that it could be concealed simply by placing the floor tile on top without suspiciously interrupting the design.
Following the discovery of the tunnel, four people have been arrested and charged with conspiring to distribute cocaine.
They have now been scheduled to be arraigned on June 2 2026 by US Magistrate Judge Valerie E. Torres, and if convicted they could face up to life in prison.
POlice seized more than a ton of the substance following a raid on the store, with an estimated street value of some $45 million.
Justin De La Torre is the US Border Patrol San Diego Sector Chief Patrol Agent, and shared a statement after the bust.
"Criminal organisations continue to look for ways to exploit our border, but they underestimate the determination of the men and women protecting it," he said.
"This tunnel’s discovery is a testament to our strong partnerships and the unwavering commitment of law enforcement on both sides of the border."
It's not the first time that law enforcement have discovered tunnels running underneath the US Mexico border, with a 2016 report from the Department of Homeland Security saying that between 1990 and 2015 the authorities uncovered 183 cross-border tunnels.
Kit Roberts