Haunting new footage has captured the eerie interior of a tunnel used by a Mexican cartel to funnel drugs between the US-Mexico border. The US Border Patrol shared a video showing the moment officers entered a smuggling tunnel in El Paso, Texas, following a bi-national operation targeting drug traffickers. The traffickers' man-made system, which was discovered at the border wall with Mexico, was located near a red "X" in Ciudad Juarez on the other side.
The video showed the concrete entryway to the vast system at El Paso and timber-framed passages inside stretching into darkness in all directions. Officials can be seen poking around corners and over the tunnel's border walls, revealing several bags and packages scattered inside.
According to border patrol representatives, the operation was launched following reports that people were seen climbing into a storm drain in Juarez. After the initial sightings, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials partnered with members of Mexican law enforcement, the Texas Department of Safety, El Paso Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations and the FBI.
They discovered a metal plate covering the entrance, and that the tunnel interior was around six feet tall and four feet wide, giving potential drug runners ample space to transport product. CBP said the tunnel was equipped with both dedicated lighting and a ventilation system.
The video showed the tunnel as it was found during the early stage of an investigation, adding that details are scarce at present, with more to come as it progresses. Local reporters said they saw a large enforcement present on both sides of the border at the time, primarily around the Border Highway.
