Border agents in El Paso are digging out an ugly truth: cartels are moving people and drugs through miles of storm drain tunnels that snake beneath the city, and a specialized U.S. Customs and Border Protection team is the one going after them. The Confined Space Entry Team gave a look inside these narrow conduits where heat, low oxygen and sudden confrontations define every mission. Smugglers have adapted, charging steep prices and using social media to recruit guides, even as monthly releases at the border have dropped and staffing at CBP has reached historic highs. This is a story of shifting tactics, dangerous work and a clear result from tougher enforcement at the border.
Agents describe the tunnel network as extensive and hard to police, with dozens of entry points along the river and hundreds of openings across the city. That layout turns counter-smuggling work into what agents call a game of whack-a-mole, because people can surface almost anywhere. Technology helps detect underground movement and teams stage themselves strategically, but the landscape still favors those who know the routes.
The physical toll of tunnel work is serious and immediate for operators who must spend long stretches in cramped, low-oxygen sections while the heat bears down. One team member summed it up plainly: “you’re already exhausted, and now, you have to potentially fight with someone underground.” That kind of encounter leaves no room for mistakes and no easy way to call for help.
Another agent spelled out the reality of those encounters in stark terms: “You can’t call for backup; you can’t call for help. It’s just you and your team versus everybody else,” he said. Teams train for confined spaces, monitor oxygen levels and learn navigation techniques specific to these passages so they can operate safely and effectively under pressure. That specialized preparation is what allows agents to locate small groups and make risky interceptions.
Still, the work is paying off in measurable ways. CBP reports that the number of migrants moving through these tunnels has fallen sharply under the current administration, with once-large groups of 40 to 60 people now replaced by encounters with two or three at a time. Department of Homeland Security figures highlight a sustained drop in releases at the border and a dramatic fall in daily apprehensions compared with the previous administration. Those numbers match what agents are seeing in the concrete below El Paso.
Smugglers, however, have adapted their business model, pushing up the price of passage to people desperate enough to pay. Reports say migrants are being charged between $20,000 and $30,000 per person to be guided through underground routes, a sharp premium that shows how lucrative and risky the operation has become. Cartels also use social media to find and groom guides who are willing to lead people through hazardous channels, increasing the professionalization of the criminal networks.
The harsh conditions inside the tunnels — poor air quality and blistering summer heat in El Paso — make each mission hazardous, both for migrants and for the agents who confront smugglers underground. Despite those dangers, CBP recently announced record staffing numbers, with the agency reaching its highest level of agents in a century. That boost in personnel, paired with specialized teams and surveillance technology, is central to sustaining tougher border enforcement.
Confrontations in confined spaces, rising cartel fees, and evolving smuggling tactics show how determined traffickers remain, even as policy changes and more boots on the ground reduce overall flows. The tunnel threat is a reminder that smugglers adapt quickly, and that maintaining pressure — training teams, investing in detection equipment and keeping staffing high — is essential to keep border security on the offensive. Strong enforcement has moved the needle, but these underground routes prove the work is not done.
