WATCH: Inside Look at the Dangerous Cartel Tunnels
WATCH: Inside look at the dangerous cartel human smuggling tunnels still being used at border – WATCH: Inside look at the dangerous cartel human smuggling tunnels still being used at the U.S.-Mexico border remains a critical security concern. Despite President Donald Trump’s aggressive border enforcement policies, criminal organizations continue exploiting an extensive network of underground storm drains in El Paso to transport both people and contraband. U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s elite Confined Space Entry Team recently provided Fox News with an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of these narrow, mile-long passages that crisscross beneath the border region.
The underground infrastructure presents unique challenges for law enforcement. According to CBP officials, there are 32 distinct entry points leading into the tunnel system from the Rio Grande River, along with hundreds of exit points scattered throughout El Paso. This complex network transforms border patrol operations into what agents describe as a game of “whack-a-mole,” where smugglers can emerge from storm drains at virtually any location. Border Patrol agents face significantly greater difficulty detecting and intercepting individuals using these concealed routes compared to surface-level monitoring.
Challenges of Underground Operations
Despite these obstacles, CBP has implemented sophisticated detection technologies to monitor underground movement and strategically position teams at critical junctions. A team member shared with Fox News that the most demanding aspect involves enduring extreme heat and breathing thick, low-oxygen air during extended operations. “You’re already exhausted by the time you encounter a cartel smuggler, and now you have to potentially fight with someone underground,” the agent explained. “You can’t call for backup; you can’t call for help. It’s just you and your team versus everybody else.”
“The greatest challenge is the heat and the time spent in the tunnels’ thick, low-oxygen air. You’re already exhausted by the time you encounter a cartel smuggler.”
Team members noted a substantial decline in migrant numbers passing through the tunnels since Trump took office. Previously, groups of 40 to 60 people regularly moved through the underground passages, but agents now typically encounter only two or three individuals at a time. Nevertheless, smuggling operations have not ceased completely. Cartels have dramatically raised their fees for illegal immigrants willing to use tunnel routes, with migrants paying between $20,000 and $30,000 per person for guided passage through the underground network.
CBP reported that smugglers are increasingly leveraging social media platforms to recruit and train guides capable of navigating these hazardous underground corridors. The conditions remain perilous, with poor air quality and intense heat creating dangerous working environments. El Paso’s summer daytime temperatures frequently surpass 100 degrees Fahrenheit, compounding the physical demands on both smugglers and border agents operating in these confined spaces.
To prepare for these demanding missions, the elite CBP team undergoes specialized training focused on underground operations, oxygen level monitoring, and tunnel navigation. This exclusive Fox News coverage coincided with the Department of Homeland Security’s announcement that June marked 14 consecutive months of zero releases at the border, representing what officials called an “unprecedented trend of historically low border crossings.” Daily apprehensions at the border have decreased by 94 percent compared to levels during the Biden administration, according to DHS data.
Meanwhile, CBP has achieved historic staffing milestones this spring, reaching 21,471 agents—the highest number in the agency’s 102-year history. Fox News Digital’s Leo Briceno contributed to this report.
