Cops raid Thomas Markle’s storage unit

Police executed a search warrant at a long-abandoned storage unit in Rosarito, Mexico, late on October 31, 2026. The target was Unit 22 at Baja Storage, rented years earlier in the name of Thomas Markle. Officers arrived after midnight, removed electronic devices, printed material, and videotapes, then taped the door shut behind them. The raid followed reports that the unit contained child sexual abuse material, a claim now under active investigation in Mexico, the Philippines, and the United Kingdom.

Unit sat empty for years

Thomas Markle rented the five-by-ten-foot space in 2017 while living nearby in Baja California. Rent payments stopped roughly two years before the raid, and the unit remained untouched until the Daily Mail gained access through the facility manager. Reporters alerted the FBI, which passed the tip to Mexican authorities. Guardia Nacional officers obtained a warrant specifically for evidence of child sexual abuse material and executed it within days.

The location is only three miles from Markle’s former home and roughly ten miles south of the U.S. border. Its contents had not been examined since he moved first to the Philippines in early 2025 and later to a Florida rehabilitation center after a leg amputation. Receipts found inside confirmed the unit remained registered to him.

Markle has denied owning any storage units in Rosarito and called the allegations “sick lies.” No charges have been filed in any jurisdiction, and investigators continue to catalog the seized items.

Electronics and storage media taken

Officers removed a desktop computer, multiple thumb drives, and roughly fifty VHS cassettes. Forensic teams also collected 35-millimeter negatives and stacks of printed photographs. Each item was logged, bagged, and transported for analysis under chain-of-custody rules.

Some of the digital files reportedly date to 2014 and 2020, according to preliminary review notes. Investigators have not yet confirmed how many images or videos are involved, but the search warrant cited “evidence consisting of child sexual abuse material” and referenced “human trafficking in its aggravated form.”

A paper plate found on a shelf listed dark-web addresses and instructions for WinCleaner, a program used to wipe hard drives. Authorities are examining whether the software was used to delete files before the unit was abandoned.

Printed titles raise further questions

Alongside the electronics, officers recovered several books with provocative titles: Forbidden Sexual Behavior and Morality, The Intimate Sex Lives of Famous People, Hollywood Lolitas, and The Invisible Children. Magazines described by the Daily Mail as showing children being sexually abused were also collected.

Black-and-white prints reportedly depict naked Asian females, some appearing very young. Additional photographs show children on a beach in what investigators described as voyeuristic framing. These images are now part of the forensic queue awaiting age verification and source tracing.

Family photographs, letters, and personal mementos were mixed among the seized items. Investigators must separate potentially illegal material from private correspondence, a process expected to take weeks.

Philippines discovery triggered broader probe

Thomas Markle Jr. first alerted authorities after opening four boxes left at his home in the Philippines. He told reporters he found “hundreds, if not thousands” of images and videos depicting very young children. He handed the material to local police and stated he was “1,000 percent confident” none of it originated with him.

Philippine investigators obtained a separate warrant on October 29, 2026, to examine devices recovered from those boxes. Some files reportedly reference addresses in Rosarito, linking the two caches and prompting Mexican authorities to move quickly on the storage unit.

Markle Sr. is currently in Florida receiving post-amputation care. His legal representatives have declined further comment while the multi-country investigation continues.

UK police face separate review

British authorities received a 2019 letter alleging child sex offenses by Thomas Markle. The Metropolitan Police did not share the information with overseas agencies at the time. Following the recent discoveries, the force self-referred the handling of that letter to the Independent Office for Police Conduct.

The IOPC review will examine whether earlier action might have altered the timeline of the Mexico and Philippines cases. No findings have been released, and the watchdog has not indicated when its report will be complete.

Cross-border coordination now involves the FBI, Mexican Guardia Nacional, Philippine National Bureau of Investigation, and UK reviewers. Each agency is working from its own warrant but sharing forensic leads.

Storage facility procedures under scrutiny

Baja Storage management allowed the Daily Mail inside after rent lapsed, a step permitted under Mexican lien law. Critics have questioned whether private reporters should have had access to a unit later tied to a criminal investigation. Facility owners have not commented.

Once the Daily Mail published its findings, Mexican police secured the unit and obtained the search warrant. The swift official response suggests authorities viewed the initial reporting as credible enough to act without delay.

Other renters at the facility told local media they were unaware of any prior complaints about the unit. The site remains open for business, though Unit 22 stays sealed behind police tape.

Family statements remain limited

Meghan Markle has not issued a public statement on the storage-unit raid. Her representatives continue to direct press inquiries to previous comments distancing the Sussex family from Thomas Markle Sr. Prince Harry has likewise declined to comment.

Thomas Markle Jr. has reiterated that he turned over the Philippines material because he believed it required official review. He has not spoken about the Mexico raid beyond confirming he was not involved in renting the unit.

Extended family members on both sides have avoided media requests, citing the ongoing nature of the investigations and the sensitivity of the allegations.

Forensic timeline still unclear

Mexican investigators have not released an inventory of every item removed or a schedule for forensic results. Age-verification experts and digital analysts are expected to work through the material in stages, beginning with the most recent files.

Any charges would require prosecutors to prove possession, identify victims, and establish provenance across multiple jurisdictions. The process could extend well into 2027, according to legal observers familiar with similar cross-border cases.

Until those steps are complete, the contents of Thomas Markle’s storage unit remain allegations supported by search-warrant language rather than adjudicated fact.

Next steps hinge on lab results

Investigators in three countries are now waiting on forensic reports that will determine whether criminal charges follow. The seized electronics, tapes, and printed material are undergoing standard digital and chemical analysis. Outcomes will dictate whether any case moves from investigation to prosecution.

For the public, the immediate question—what the cops found in Thomas Markle’s storage unit—has been answered in broad terms: computers, drives, tapes, and printed images now under forensic review. Details beyond that description await laboratory confirmation and any future court filings.