San Diego officials arraigned an alleged drug lord on Monday, accusing him of using a network of dark tunnels to ferry frightening cargo.
The case went into gear as police made a terrifying discovery at a stash house related to Genaro Lopez, 54, a few years ago.
Authorities seized 241 kilos of cocaine, eight guns (including two ghost guns), ammunition, high-capacity magazines and $40,000 in cash in a 2021 drug bust of three cars leaving a Chula Vista drug house.
Four of Lopez’s employees were arrested at the time and have since been charged and sentenced. Lopez was not present at the time, and police didn’t nab him until March of this year.
About a year later, in 2022, officials discovered a cross-border tunnel from a stash house in National City after stopping four cars leaving it.
This time, they made an even bigger bust.
Police seized close to 800 kilograms of cocaine, 74.8 kilos of methamphetamine, and 1.6 kilos of dangerous fentanyl. This stash house had a tunnel beneath it that ran from Otay Mesa to Tijuana.
Pictures showed the dark, steel-reinforced tunnel that was estimated to be about 1,744 feet long, 61 feet deep, and 4 feet in diameter. The tunnel was sophisticated enough to have ventilation, electricity, and a rail system.
Police nabbed six people there, five of whom have since pleaded guilty and have been sentenced, while a sixth fled and is on the loose as a fugitive.
The tunnel was reminiscent of another underground drug passageway from Tijuana to a hidden entrance at a fake “Buy 4 Less” store also in Otay Mesa.
Officials said that the tunnel was a “sophisticated cross-border tunnel” that had electricity and ventilation. It was estimated to be about 1,933 feet long, 55 feet deep, and 4.5 feet in height, with reinforced walls.
Investigators discovered the tunnel after months of surveilling the store, observing suspicious activity and “minimal foot traffic from customers” at the “Buy 4 Less” store.
Lopez will appear in court on Tuesday to face charges of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Conspiracy to Import a Controlled Substance. The hearing is expected to set a date for his trial.
If convicted of the charges, Lopez will likely spend life in prison.
