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Some of these tunnels have become astonishingly sophisticated. A notable example is the OT Messa tunnel discovered in 2022, which stretched over 1,700 feet from Tijuana into a warehouse in Otay Mesa, California. This underground passage featured reinforced walls, ventilation systems, electrical wiring, and even a railroad track—indicative of the cartels' evolving ingenuity. Authorities estimate that this tunnel alone yielded over a ton of cocaine.
Cover-up operations are a hallmark of cartel activity, with entrances cleverly concealed within ordinary buildings such as warehouses, storefronts, or abandoned homes. They incorporate trapdoors, hydraulic lifts, and fake floors to evade detection, enabling traffickers to move contraband and humans seamlessly beneath the radar.