Mexican organized crime groups are relying on an old but effective smuggling method: clandestine tunnels dug beneath the US-Mexico border. According to a report published by El Universal, cartels continue to build and use these underground passages to move illegal drugs into the United States, bypassing surface checkpoints and surveillance.
Tunnel smuggling has a long history along the nearly 2,000-mile (3,200 km) border, particularly in twin-city areas like Tijuana and San Diego, where dense urban development on both sides makes it easier to disguise entry and exit points inside warehouses or private homes. US and Mexican authorities have discovered dozens of such passages over the past two decades, some equipped with lighting, ventilation systems, and even rail carts to move cargo more efficiently.
These tunnels represent one of several methods cartels use to diversify their smuggling routes, alongside concealment in vehicles, cargo shipments, and other border-crossing schemes. Their persistence highlights the ongoing challenge facing security forces on both sides of the border, who must contend not only with heavily fortified surface crossings but also with an underground network that is harder to detect and dismantle.
For the full story and details from El Universal’s investigation, we invite you to read the original report.
Source: Cárteles penetran la frontera con narcotúneles (eluniversal.com.mx). English version produced with AI assistance.
Image: User:Vmenkov.