Brooke Taylor of Fox News provided an exclusive look inside the underground storm drain tunnels in El Paso, Texas, exploited by cartels to smuggle migrants from Mexico into the United States. These narrow, hot, dark, and confined tunnels pose major dangers and harsh conditions for those inside.

Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) elite Confined Space Entry Team revealed that there are 32 entry points from the Rio Grande and hundreds of exit points throughout El Paso. This extensive network allows smugglers to evade detection, making patrolling the tunnels a game of "whack-a-mole," as smugglers can emerge from storm drains at any location.

Smugglers are reportedly charging migrants between $20,000 and $30,000 for passage through these tunnels. According to CBP, it is significantly more difficult for Border Patrol agents to detect and intercept smugglers using these secret underground routes.

The tunnels are also used for drug trafficking. One such tunnel was secured and permanently sealed by the Mexican National Guard and personnel from the Attorney General's Office after evidence collection.

Fox News reported this exclusive coverage as the Department of Homeland Security announced that June 2026 marked 14 consecutive months of zero releases at the border, highlighting what it called an "unprecedented trend of historically low border crossings."

A member of the CBP team described the challenges faced underground: "You can’t call for backup; you can’t call for help. It’s just you and your team versus everybody else," adding, "you’re already exhausted, and now, you have to potentially fight with someone underground."

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