A secret tunnel discovered on the US-Mexico border will be closed

A military official in Ciudad Juarez said Saturday that Mexican authorities will close the secret tunnel discovered last week on the U.S.-Mexico border.

The tunnel, which was discovered on January 10, connects the Mexican city of Ciudad Juarez to El Paso, Texas. On the Mexican side, it is about 1,000 feet long, equipped with lighting and ventilation and reinforced to prevent collapses, officials said.

Hidden in a sewer system that runs between the two cities, the tunnel is about 6 feet high and 4 feet wide, facilitating the passage of people or smuggled goods, said General Jose Lemos, commander of the military garrison in Ciudad Juarez, which guards the tunnel.

said Victor Manjarrez, a former Border Guard sector chief with more than 20 years of experience CBS affiliate KDBC Connecting the tunnel through the sewer system is a common practice among smugglers.

He added: “This is definitely not a family operation at all. It has gone above and beyond that.”

Officials said an investigation into its construction is underway.

Lemos told reporters that building the tunnel “must take a long time… It could have taken a year or two,” refusing to provide details on how long it took to operate it, as well as those in charge of it and potential operators.

He said that the Mexican Attorney General’s Office was in charge of the investigation and would be responsible for determining whether there was collusion by the authorities because it was built without them noticing.

Lemos also said evidence about the tunnel’s existence and location has been discussed by human traffickers on social media platforms like TikTok.

Ahead of Donald Trump’s inauguration as US president on Monday, both sides of the US-Mexico border have beefed up security, with the returning Republican president vowing to deport large numbers of migrants soon after taking office.

In Chihuahua state, which includes Ciudad Juarez, authorities reported a fire at a makeshift camp for illegal immigrants, leading to the evacuation of 39 adults and 17 minors, according to state police.

According to the Mexican newspaper Reforma, the fire was started by some migrants who were camping there to resist attempts by immigration authorities to detain them and transport them to Mexico City for later deportation.

The National Migration Institute did not respond to AFP’s requests for comment.