Smuggler pleads guilty to using border tunnel for migrant trafficking

Luis Carlos Davalos-Lopez, a Mexican national, has pleaded guilty in a Texas federal court to conspiracy to smuggle migrants into the United States. The operation utilized an underground tunnel connecting Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, to the public storm drain system in El Paso, Texas.

Authorities state the tunnel was constructed by the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG). The illicit network reportedly charged migrants as much as $30,000 to use the passage. Once inside the El Paso storm drains, migrants were moved through exit points, such as a modified box truck positioned over a manhole.

Federal investigators used wiretaps and surveillance to uncover the scheme, which also involved the trafficking of drugs and firearms. The case follows the discovery of the tunnel in January 2025 and serves as a significant test of efforts to treat cartel-linked smuggling as a counterterrorism issue.