Man Accused Of Building Cartel Drug Tunnel From TJ To Fake SD Store Indicted

SAN DIEGO, CA — A man accused of designing and constructing a cross- border tunnel that was used by a cartel to smuggle drugs into the United States was indicted Thursday by a federal grand jury.

Manuel Hernandez Victoria, 60, also known as El Ingniero, or the Engineer in Spanish, allegedly built an underground tunnel stretching from Tijuana to a fake Otay Mesa store dubbed "Buy 4 Less," according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

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Prosecutors say the tunnel was estimated to be around 1,933 feet long, 55 feet deep, and 4 1/2 feet high, complete with reinforced walls, a rail system, ventilation systems and electricity.

The indictment alleges the tunnel was built for the benefit of Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación, a Mexican criminal syndicate that was designated by the U.S. government last year as a foreign terrorist organization.

Hernandez, the seventh person charged in connection with the tunnel, was arrested earlier this month in the state of Jalisco, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.