Luis Manuel Hernandez Victoria
Introduction
Luis Manuel Hernandez Victoria is a 60-year-old Mexican engineer from Guadalajara, Mexico, whom federal prosecutors charge with designing and building a sophisticated cross-border subterranean drug tunnel for the Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG), a syndicate the U.S. government has designated as a foreign terrorist organization. Known by the aliases “El Ingeniero” (the Engineer), “El Inge,” and “Nalgon,” he was indicted on October 29, 2026, by a federal grand jury in San Diego on four counts, including providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization. According to public reports, he was arrested in Jalisco on October 15, 2026. He is the seventh person charged in connection with the tunnel case.
Background Information
Per the indictment, Hernandez Victoria’s alleged specialty is reflected in his nickname “El Ingeniero” — the Engineer. The tunnel at the center of the case was found on May 29, 2026, inside a retail store known as “Buy 4 Less” at 2498 Roll Drive, Suite E, in San Diego, near the Otay Mesa Port of Entry. The subterranean passageway stretched from Tijuana, Mexico, and was estimated to be about 1,933 feet long, 55 feet deep, and 4.5 feet in height, with reinforced walls, rail and ventilation systems, and electricity. When it was discovered, federal law enforcement seized over one ton of cocaine estimated to be worth more than $45 million USD.
The Controversy or Incident That Led to Their Cancellation
Charged, not convicted.
On October 29, 2026, a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Luis Manuel Hernandez Victoria with designing and constructing the tunnel for the benefit of the CJNG. The indictment contains four counts: providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization, in violation of Title 18, U.S.C., Section 2339B(a)(1), carrying a maximum penalty of twenty years in prison and a $500,000 fine; conspiracy to construct or finance a cross-border tunnel, under Title 18, U.S.C., Sections 555(a) and (d), with a maximum of twenty years and a $500,000 fine; conspiracy to use a cross-border tunnel to import controlled substances, under Title 18, U.S.C., Sections 555(c) and (d), carrying up to life in prison and a $10 million fine; and conspiracy to import controlled substances, under Title 21, U.S.C., Sections 952, 960, and 963, also punishable by up to life and a $10 million fine. The material support charge rests on the CJNG’s designation as a foreign terrorist organization, which the U.S. government announced on February 20, 2025.
The indictment alleges Hernandez Victoria’s involvement in constructing the tunnel found inside the retail store at 2498 Roll Drive, Suite E — a store near the Otay Mesa Port of Entry known as “Buy 4 Less” — on May 29, 2026. The subterranean passageway stretched from Tijuana, Mexico, and was estimated to be about 1,933 feet long, 55 feet deep, and 4.5 feet in height, with reinforced walls, rail and ventilation systems, and electricity. At the time the tunnel was discovered, federal law enforcement seized more than one ton of cocaine estimated to be worth more than $45 million USD.
According to public reports, Hernandez Victoria was arrested in the Mexican state of Jalisco on October 15, 2026, and Mexican authorities seized weapons and narcotics at the time of his arrest. He is the seventh person to be charged in connection with the tunnel, and the investigation is ongoing. Per the release, indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Public Reaction and Consequences
“Hernandez engineered his own downfall,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon. Kevin Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of HSI San Diego, said, “Today’s indictment underscores the relentless commitment of Homeland Security Investigations and our HSTF partners to dismantling the transnational criminal organizations that threaten our national security,” adding, “By utilizing every resource at our disposal through the Homeland Security Task Force, HSI will continue to bring the cartel leaders and architects of cross-border smuggling tunnels like Hernandez to justice.” The case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion, a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels and transnational criminal organizations. Two of the four counts carry maximum penalties of life in prison and $10 million fines. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Deshong and Jordan Arakawa.
Current Status
As of the October 29, 2026 announcement, Hernandez Victoria stands charged but not convicted; the indictment is an allegation, and he is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. According to public reports, he was arrested in Jalisco on October 15, 2026, where Mexican authorities seized weapons and narcotics. He is the seventh person charged in connection with the tunnel case, and federal law enforcement has stated the investigation is ongoing. The case is being prosecuted in the Southern District of California by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Deshong and Jordan Arakawa, with the Homeland Security Task Force driving the investigation alongside HSI, U.S. Border Patrol, the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office, CBP, DEA, the California Department of Justice, and the FBI.
Impact on Their Career/Life
The indictment transforms a 60-year-old engineer from Guadalajara into one of the most prominently charged defendants in the CJNG tunnel investigation. If convicted on all four counts, he faces maximum penalties that include two life terms and $21 million in combined fines, though an indictment is only an allegation and he remains presumed innocent. His October 15, 2026 arrest in Jalisco has already brought tangible consequences, with Mexican authorities seizing weapons and narcotics at the time. As the seventh person charged, his case widens a prosecution that federal authorities describe as ongoing.
Sources
- U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California, “Alleged Engineer of CJNG Cartel’s Cross-Border Tunnel Indicted for Providing Material Support to Foreign Terrorist Organization”, October 29, 2026 — source