Two of the four men arrested by U.S. authorities following the discovery of a drug-smuggling tunnel between Tijuana and Otay Mesa have been ordered detained without bail.
During a federal court hearing on Wednesday, Magistrate Judge Valeria E. Torres ruled that U.S. citizens Gregorio Epifanio Hernández López and José Jiménez pose a flight risk and must remain in custody, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California.
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The remaining two defendants, Brandon Escalante Sandoval and Antonio Cortez, are scheduled to appear for their own detention hearings on Monday, June 8, at 10:00 a.m., and Tuesday, June 9, at 1:30 p.m., respectively.
Authorities say all four men were transporting cocaine through an underground tunnel that originated in Tijuana and ended inside a “Buy 4 Less” store in Otay Mesa. The two detainees are Mexican nationals who were in the United States illegally at the time of their arrest.
