Authorities say a bargain shop near the US-Mexico border was concealing a high-end cocaine pipeline—the first drug tunnel to be found connecting California and Mexico in four years. Federal agents have charged four men with moving more than $45 million worth of cocaine through the roughly 2,000-foot passage linking a San Diego-area warehouse branded as "Buy 4 Less" to Tijuana, per CBS News. The tunnel, raided Friday after months of surveillance, was 55 feet deep and 4.5 feet tall, equipped with lights, ventilation, reinforced walls, and a rail system, per the Justice Department. Officials say they ultimately seized more than a ton of cocaine—about 2,269 pounds—from three vehicles tied to the site.
Investigators began watching the Otay Mesa warehouse in December after noticing suspicious activity at the little-used "store," including employees repeatedly taking seemingly empty suitcases across the border. The bust came after agents allegedly watched workers load heavy items into a van, swap keys in a hiding spot near its gas cap, and transfer deep freezers filled with packages between vehicles. A search warrant later revealed the tunnel's hidden exit under a storage-room floor. In a statement, authorities noted it was "lights and sirens" at the end of the tunnel for four suspects aged 18 to 32, per the Guardian. Two men from San Diego and two from Mexico face drug distribution charges; one is also accused of building and using the tunnel. All could receive life sentences if convicted.
,
uBlock 
,
and
Ghostery 
)
