A secret drug cartel tunnel was uncovered near the Mexico-Arizona border in January 2024, raising concerns over the smuggling tactics employed by notorious criminal organizations.
A collaborative effort between US and Mexican agencies led to the drone discovery of this unfinished tunnel near San Luis Rio Colorado, adding to the growing evidence of sophisticated drug trafficking methods linked to major cartels, as the Daily Mail reports.
U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, along with Sonora State Police, discovered the concealed tunnel using drone technology. Situated near the border wall adjacent to the border town of San Luis Rio Colorado, the tunnel was deemed a "narco tunnel" by Mexican authorities. It had been designed notably for smuggling narcotics across the border.
The revelation marks the third such tunnel found in the Yuma, Arizona, area over the course of 2024. Authorities remain uncertain about which drug gang is responsible for constructing the passage, but strong suspicions point towards the infamous Sinaloa cartel. Historically, this cartel has demonstrated a pattern of building tunnels that exploit the sewage and water systems of border cities.
The Sinaloa cartel, one of the dominant drug-trafficking organizations in the region, often digs these pathways starting from homes located on the Mexican side of the border. According to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the cartel virtually controls the areas adjacent to the Arizona border, granting them direct access to significant ports of entry like San Luis Rio Colorado and Nogales.
The ongoing efforts to combat drug-related issues come amidst a backdrop of rising concern over synthetic drugs in the United States. As detailed by the DEA, the Sinaloa and Jalisco cartels, along with their various collaborators, have contributed to the synthetic drug crisis that has claimed a significant number of American lives. Calculated efforts by these cartels involve a broad network of producers, distributors, and financial operatives.
In 2022 alone, drug overdoses resulted in more than 107,000 fatalities in the United States, with fentanyl attributed as the primary cause of death in 70% of these cases. The DEA Administrator, Anne Milgram, emphasized the comprehensive approach being employed to dismantle these drug networks, citing the agency's commitment to utilizing every resource at its disposal.
Concurrently, a separate but equally alarming development is the expansion of the Tren de Aragua (TdA) gang. This Venezuelan criminal syndicate has been steadily broadening its reach across the United States. By the end of 2024, the gang reported operational presence in 18 states, spreading its influence to areas such as Colorado, North Dakota, Montana, Nevada, and Wyoming among others.
Originating from a prison in Venezuela, members of this violent gang infiltrated the United States amid the larger influx of Venezuelan migrants. The gang is notorious for visible tattoos that serve as identifiers, featuring symbols like a train and an AK-47.
Major urban centers like Texas, New York, and Chicago serve as strongholds for the Tren de Aragua. In New York City alone, over 500 arrests related to the TdA gang were made in 2024, with most charges revolving around robbery and grand larceny. Worryingly, the gang has also been known to involve minors in their activities. A group known as the "Little Devils of 42nd Street," comprised of children as young as 11, is part of their recruitment strategy.
The year 2024 saw an excess of 800 gang-related incidents across New York City. This figure roughly doubles the gang-related crime observed in the previous year, signaling an alarming increase.
Former Director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement for Colorado and Wyoming, John Fabbricatore, predicts a continuing rise in the arrest of gang members, remarking on their rapidly expanding influence. According to Fabbricatore, the number of states within which the TdA operates is expected to surpass 25 by February.
As both local and federal authorities remain vigilant in dismantling these sophisticated networks, the dual threat of cartel drug trafficking and gang expansion present ongoing challenges. These issues require persistent efforts from law enforcement agencies on both sides of the border to mitigate their considerable impact on communities across the United States.
