Authorities have uncovered a tunnel connecting Tijuana and San Diego, suspected to be used for trafficking drugs, weapons, and people across the U.S.-Mexico border. During the operation, investigators seized approximately $45 million worth of drugs.
Federal authorities made a significant drug bust in Southern California this year, revealing over 1,000 pounds of cocaine hidden under the floorboards of a commercial truck entering the U.S. from Mexico. This stash represents one of the largest cocaine operations in the region this year. The Department of Justice reported that the half-ton of cocaine was found inside a commercial truck and flatbed trailer at the Calexico Port of Entry, which connects California and Mexico. The street value of the cocaine is estimated to exceed $20 million.
This operation marks the second-largest cocaine haul in the Southern District of California this year, as noted by federal prosecutors. In May, an even larger seizure revealed over a ton of cocaine connected to a cross-border drug tunnel, valued at about $45 million.
Authorities apprehended Jose Manuel Lopez, a 44-year-old Mexican national and the truck’s sole occupant. Lopez faces charges for importing cocaine into the United States. If convicted, he may receive a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years, with a possible maximum of life imprisonment.
Federal prosecutors, aiming to keep Lopez detained, described this bust as an incredibly substantial amount of drugs for the district.
During inspections, officials found 269 bundles of rebar in the trailer. The detection started when U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers, teamed with Homeland Security Investigations and the Drug Enforcement Administration, discovered anomalies during an X-ray scan. A narcotics detection dog alerted to the trailer, leading officers to unload the rebar and lift the wooden floorboards. This uncovered 366 packages of cocaine, totaling over 1,000 pounds, or approximately 454 kilograms.
Lopez pleaded not guilty during his first federal court appearance Tuesday, with a detention hearing planned for August 3.