Indictments Follow Discovery of Cross-Border Drug Smuggling Tunnel
Four men have been indicted after a Department of Homeland Security task force investigation unveiled a complex tunnel used to smuggle drugs from Tijuana, Mexico, into retail locations near San Diego, California. The indictment follows the tunnel’s discovery and the seizure of over a ton of cocaine.
The arrests stem from a federal drug investigation that began in December 2025, targeting a retail business called Buy 4 Less, located close to the Otay Mesa Port of Entry, about 20 miles south of San Diego, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California.
Authorities report that the underground tunnel, which stretches approximately 2,000 feet from Tijuana to the alleged retail store, is located 55 feet underground and about 5 feet high. The tunnel boasts reinforced walls, electricity, rail systems, and ventilation.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office has shared two video clips showcasing the tunnel’s sophistication. In one video, investigators provide a view of the tunnel’s exit to the retail store, while another video captures an agent descending into the narrow, walled passage.
Those arrested include Gregorio Epifanio Hernandez López and Jose Jimenez from San Diego, along with Brandon Escalante Sandoval and Antonio Cortez from Mexico. All four face charges of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, with Hernandez-Lopez facing additional accusations of conspiracy related to the tunnel and drug importation.
According to court documents, personnel from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) monitored the Buy 4 Less warehouse from December 2025 to May 2026 due to observed suspicious activities.
During their investigation, agents noted a new group of seven or eight “employees” appearing frequently at the facility. Hernandez was reportedly seen at the store around January 2026, and agents observed activities that didn’t align with typical retail operations.
The complaint alleges that Hernandez and the other workers engaged in peculiar behaviors, such as transferring large numbers of suitcases from shops to vehicles and crossing the border into Mexico on foot. Investigators suspected the suitcases were empty and did not intercept them at that time.
The investigation culminated on May 29, 2026, when officers monitored the Buy for Less facility and witnessed a man loading substantial items into a white van parked nearby. They observed Brandon Escalante conducting what appeared to be counter-surveillance, checking his surroundings and parked cars.
Reports suggest Escalante dismounted from his bike, approached the van, retrieved car keys from the gas cap area, and drove it into a mechanic shop. Agents later observed multiple large items being transferred between the first van and another vehicle, including three freezers loaded onto a truck.
After the truck exited the shop, it was stopped by San Diego County Sheriff’s Deputies. A police K-9 unit detected the scent of a suspected controlled substance. Further observations at Buy 4 Less revealed heavy boxes being loaded onto a second vehicle.
A second truck was also stopped and searched, with K-9 alerts indicating the presence of a controlled substance. Additionally, a van allegedly operated by Antonio Cortez was intercepted near the mechanic shop, yielding a positive alert for illegal substances inside.
According to the criminal complaint, law enforcement seized a total of 2,269.87 pounds of suspected cocaine from various vehicles involved in the operation.
A field test confirmed that the substances matched cocaine. Following this, a U.S. Magistrate Judge authorized a search of the Buy for Less facility.
During the search, investigators uncovered the exit to an underground smuggling tunnel concealed beneath the floor of a storage room.
U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon remarked on the tunnel’s discovery and the seizure, stating, “For these defendants, it wasn’t the light at the end of the tunnel. It was a light and a siren.”
Authorities suspect that the cocaine trafficking operation was linked to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), which was classified as a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S. Department of State in February 2025.
