Fox News Exposes El Paso’s Drainage System Used for Immigrant Smuggling

Brooke Taylor investigates the concealed network of stormwater drainage systems in El Paso, Texas, which cartels exploit to illegally transport immigrants from Mexico into the U.S. She highlights the perilous conditions within these hot, dark, and cramped tunnels. Currently, smugglers charge migrants between $20,000 and $30,000 for passage through these confined spaces.

Beneath El Paso lies what U.S. Border Patrol agents refer to as “the city beneath our city.” This extensive network of stormwater drainage channels, originally designed for flood control, continues to be utilized by Mexican cartels for smuggling illegal immigrants.

Fox News was granted exclusive access to delve underground with the elite Confined Space Entry Team (CSET) of the El Paso area, exploring the dangerous maze of tunnels that smugglers navigate, despite the historically low levels of clearance issues, as reported by Border Patrol.

Border Patrol informs that traversing the storm drains takes smugglers and immigrants between 45 minutes to an hour. The tunnels are known for being hot and narrow, and oxygen levels can fluctuate unexpectedly, adding to the risks involved.

This underground system extends for miles under El Paso, with the Border Patrol identifying 32 known entry points into the United States from the Rio Grande, with numerous exit points dispersed across neighborhoods, parks, and commercial areas in the city.

Jason Hartman, head of the El Paso Division’s Confined Space Infiltration Team, noted a significant hurdle: the uncertainty of where smugglers emerge from the underground network. “We have an exit to an elementary school, and a place for us to sleep and play,” he expressed. This raises concerns about smugglers potentially appearing in family areas, such as backyards or playgrounds.

At one of the storm drain entrances, Fox News found evidence suggesting prior crossings: tools, wallets, and even a Mexican driver’s license abandoned, items often left behind by migrants and smugglers during their dangerous journeys.

Agents at the Border Patrol focus on guarding entry points near the Rio Grande, relying heavily on technology to track movements within the underground networks. Hartman stated, “We have the technology to tell you when they’re there, where they’re going, and when they’re coming out. Technology is advancing quickly.”

Even with these measures, some individuals still manage to evade capture. This year, the Border Patrol reported 161 apprehended illegal immigrants who utilized the stormwater drainage system in El Paso. Hartman mentioned that during the height of the border crisis, officers encountered groups of up to 70 migrants moving through these tunnels. Currently, however, it’s more common to find smaller groups, often just two or three individuals.

Agents on specialized teams undergo thorough training in a full-scale replica of a storm drain, learning to operate in confined spaces while closely monitoring oxygen levels, which can change unexpectedly. Hartman remarked about the taxing physical conditions encountered before even facing smugglers, emphasizing, “For me, it’s the heat, time, and air.”

Due to the increasing dangers and challenges of illegal crossings, smugglers have drastically raised their fees, now charging between $20,000 and $30,000 per person to guide migrants through these storm drains, according to the Border Patrol.

Hamid Nikseresht, a U.S. Border Patrol special operations supervisor, shared, “The cartels are desperate to get people into the country. They’re trying to fund networks around the world. This isn’t merely a local issue; it’s a global problem.”