Tunnel discovered in Ciudad Juárez used for human trafficking

The early morning silence on Rafael Pérez Serna Avenue was broken by the metallic clang of a manhole cover. Soldiers from the Mexican Army and the National Guard, deployed in the area as part of a surveillance operation, watched as about ten people emerged from the shadows of the drainage system in front of the imposing Plaza de la Mexicanidad. It was the first sign of something bigger: a tunnel that discreetly crossed toward the Rio Grande.

The alert was raised immediately. Members of the Mexican Army (Sedena) descended to the designated location and found an improvised but efficient structure: a metal ladder, abandoned clothing, scattered footwear, and a passageway winding underground. The tunnel didn't lead directly to El Paso, Texas, but it reached the Rio Grande, right in front of Gate 28 of the border wall. From there, the journey into U.S. territory was just a few steps away.

The discovery raised alarms among federal and local authorities. According to initial reports, the tunnel measured several dozen meters and had a rudimentary ventilation system. Despite its precariousness, it allowed groups of migrants to pass through undetected by cameras or border agents.

The site was secured by members of the Mexican Army (Sedena), agents from the National Migration Institute (INM), and personnel from the International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC). The inspection will continue in the coming days, given the suspicion that other similar tunnels connected to the Ciudad Juárez drainage system exist.

The phenomenon is not new, but it has taken on new dimensions. Over the past year, human trafficking gangs have used social media platforms like TikTok to promote irregular crossings into the United States. In videos that garner thousands of views, they promise “safe routes” through tunnels and charge up to $10,000 per person.

This type of digital advertising has hampered the work of authorities, as it creates a false perception of ease and safety among migrants seeking to reach the United States. However, many end up being victims of extortion, abuse, or abandonment in the desert or underground.

The tunnel discovered this month is not the first in the area. In January, Mexican and U.S. authorities located another 300-meter passageway connecting Ciudad Juárez with El Paso. It measured 1.8 meters high and 1.2 meters wide, had wooden reinforcements, and a makeshift ventilation system. Its entrance was also concealed in a sewer above Rafael Pérez Serna Avenue.

In June, a similar operation in Tijuana uncovered another tunnel connecting Baja California and San Diego, California. All of these findings confirm that criminal organizations continue to adapt, taking advantage of urban infrastructure and drainage systems to evade surveillance.

Mexican authorities have strengthened coordination with U.S. agencies to detect and seal underground access points that endanger national security and the lives of migrants. The Mexican Army and the National Guard maintain a presence in key areas along the border, while the International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC) analyzes underground maps of the border drainage system.

The discovery in Ciudad Juárez could be just the tip of the iceberg of a much larger network that uses the underground as a migration route. Meanwhile, the border continues to be a scene of stark contrasts: on one side, the American dream; on the other, the desperation to achieve it, even if it means going underground.