Podcasts · Immigration Crisis: The Fight for the Southern Border
$30,000 per migrant: Accused smuggler pleads guilty in storm-drain tunnel plot in El Paso
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Episode $30,000 per migrant: Accused smuggler pleads guilty in storm-drain tunnel plot in El Paso
A Mexican national has pleaded guilty in connection with a sophisticated underground tunnel used to smuggle migrants from Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, into El Paso.
Federal prosecutors say Luis Carlos Davalos-Lopez, 29, conspired with others to move migrants through the tunnel, which investigators found in January 2025 connected to El Paso’s storm-drain system. The passage was allegedly used to move people underground before they were taken away in a modified box truck.
As KFOX's Erika Esquivel reports, Davalos-Lopez and his co-defendants were indicted in April 2025.
According to court documents, intercepted calls captured Davalos-Lopez discussing the tunnel, including the number of migrants crossing through it and fees of up to $30,000 for people seeking to enter the United States without inspection.
Authorities said the tunnel was allegedly built by the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación, or CJNG.
A sentencing date has not been set, and a judge will determine his sentence after considering federal guidelines and other factors.
Two co-defendants have previously pleaded guilty in the broader investigation.
Maria Del Rosario Navarro-Sanchez admitted last month to conspiring to provide material support to CJNG through firearms trafficking, while Gustavo Castro-Medina pleaded guilty to helping facilitate a $3,000 wire transfer intended for firearms purchases.
Texas Border Watch previously examined the growing concern over cartels using tunnels, storm drains and other underground infrastructure to move people, drugs and weapons across the border.
Former El Paso Sector Chief Patrol Agent Victor Manjarrez said those routes can create serious public-safety concerns for cities because they can be hidden within existing drainage and utility systems.
“The exploitation of our city infrastructure, I do believe that's happening probably daily in major cities,” Manjarrez said. "If you see the numbers drop and you see enforcement increase above ground, it isn't because the human smuggling organizations have stopped, or narcotics smugglers; they just saw a different alternative to bring to illicit cargo."
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