US, Mexican officials plan to seal secret smuggling tunnel under border

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Lauren Taylor Anchor

By Lauren Taylor (Anchor), Evan Hummel (Producer), Bast Bramhall (Video Editor)

Smugglers may soon have one less way to illegally sneak people and contraband into the United States from Mexico. The Mexican army announcing it is sealing up a secret tunnel underneath the Mexican city of Ciudad Juarez and El Paso, Texas, and revealed that an investigation is underway into its construction.

What did authorities find?

Authorities said they believe the tunnel was being used by human and drug traffickers.

CBS News reported on Sunday, Jan. 19, on the Mexican side of the connection, the tunnel is about 1,000 feet long and equipped with lighting ventilation and wood reinforcements to prevent collapse.

The tunnel reportedly measures about 6 feet high and is four feet wide, which Mexico’s military says makes for easy passage of drugs and people.

The tunnel was discovered on Jan. 10 by U.S. Border Patrol agents in El Paso and is hidden in a storm sewer system between both cities.

Mexican Army officials said the tunnel’s construction may have taken up to two years and they are looking into whether any law enforcement officials were complicit in its creation.

How big is the problem?

Authorities say secret tunnel like this one that are connected to sewer systems are a common tactic among smugglers.

A former U.S. Border Patrol sector Chief told the Daily Mail that he estimates up to 240 such underground connections have existed along the U.S. southern border since 1991.

What’s the bigger picture?

The discovery of the latest underground passageway comes as President Donald Trump vows mass deportations and reportedly plans Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids as soon as Tuesday, Jan. 21.

Tags: Border, Border crossings, Border patrol, Chicago, Crime, Deportation, Donald Trump, Drug cartels, Drug smuggling, Drugs, El Paso, Human Rights, Illinois, Immigrant, Immigration, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Mexico, migrants, Texas, Trafficking, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S.-Mexico Border

[LAUREN TAYLOR]

SMUGGLERS WILL SOON HAVE ONE LESS WAY TO ILLEGALLY SNEAK PEOPLE AND CONTRABAND INTO THE U-S FROM MEXICO.

THE MEXICAN ARMY ANNOUNCING IT’S SEALING UP A SECRET TUNNEL UNDERNEATH THE MEXICAN CITY OF CIUDAD JUAREZ AND EL PASO, TEXAS, AND REVEALING AN INVESTIGATION IS UNDERWAY.

AUTHORITIES SAY THEY BELIEVE THE TUNNEL WAS BEING USED BY HUMAN AND DRUG TRAFFICKERS.

ON MEXICO’S SIDE, THE TUNNEL IS REPORTEDLY ABOUT ONE-THOUSAND FEET LONG AND EQUIPPED WITH LIGHTING, VENTILATION AND WOOD REINFORCEMENTS TO PREVENT COLLAPSE.

IT MEASURES ABOUT SIX FEET HIGH AND FOUR FEET WIDE, WHICH MEXICO’S MILITARY SAYS MAKES FOR THE EASY PASSAGE OF DRUGS AND PEOPLE.

THE TUNNEL WAS DISCOVERED EARLIER THIS MONTH BY U-S BORDER PATROL AGENTS IN EL PASO.

IT’S HIDDEN IN A STORM SEWER SYSTEM BETWEEN BOTH CITIES.

MEXICAN ARMY OFFICIALS SAY THE TUNNEL’S CONSTRUCTION MAY HAVE TAKEN UP TO TWO YEARS AND THEY’RE LOOKING INTO WHETHER LAW ENFORCEMENT WAS COMPLICIT IN ITS CREATION.

AUTHORITIES SAY SECRET TUNNELS LIKE THIS ONE THAT ARE CONNECTED TO SEWER SYSTEMS ARE A COMMON TACTIC AMONG HUMAN SMUGGLERS.

A FORMER U-S BORDER PATROL CHIEF SAYS HE ESTIMATES UP TO 240 SUCH UNDERGROUND CONNECTIONS HAVE EXISTED ALONG THE SOUTHERN BORDER SINCE 1991.

THE DISCOVERY OF THE LATEST UNDERGROUND PASSAGEWAY COMES AS PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP VOWS MASS DEPORTATIONS AND REPORTEDLY PLANS ICE RAIDS IN THE U-S AS SOON AS TUESDAY.

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FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS– I’M LAUREN TAYLOR.