Narco Tunnels Are Likely Hidden Beneath Storefronts, Warehouses, Former DEA Agent Says

A former DEA agent said that cross-border smuggling tunnels are usually hidden underneath seemingly legal storefronts or warehouses, making them hard to detect and destroy.

Michael Brown, who was a senior special agent at the DEA, told Fox News Digital that even though most illegal drugs enter the country through vehicles crossing the southern border, some cargo goes through tunnels.

"They (the cartels) move hundreds of kilos out and build a warehouse over the tunnel," Brown told the outlet. He added that they are usually "hard to identify" in border towns like Eagle Pass or Brownsville, in Texas.

Brown explained that authorities can seek for people to become sources and provide them with information leading to such infrastructure. "Instead of trying to recruit an individual, say, 'We'll pay you a certain amount of money for information,'" he said to illustrate his point.

Cross-border tunnels have made headlines recently after U.S. authorities discovered one in early January while inspecting the storm drain system in the El Paso area. They began filling it up with cement about a week later, according to Border Report. The tunnel was "equipped with lighting, a ventilation system, and is braced with wood beams throughout," per Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

The entry on the Mexican side is located in the Juarez area, with authorities from the country taking steps to seal the structure as well. The outlet detailed that members of Mexico's National Guard prevented civilian access to the area while heavy machinery was used to fill up the tunnel.

Former Border Patrol Chief Victor Manjarrez Jr. has described the tunnel as "sophisticated" and said it was likely used to "bring people from China, from Southeast Asia or Europe that can pay $25,000 to $30,000 to be smuggled to the United States."

He added that other potential clients could come from what he described as "terrorist" regions. "They may not be on the list itself but come from" there, Manjarrez added, saying they are "the ones more invested in not being detected."

Authorities had reportedly heard about the tunnel months ago but had been unable to locate it. That changed after agents conducted a storm drain inspection in Boone Street, less than a mile away from the border.

Mexican police recently said officials are investigating the possibility that there is another smuggling tunnel crossing into the U.S. nearby after finding social media posts promoting one.

The new potential tunnel is in the same area, its existence revealed through social media posts from smugglers promoting it. The publications have been taken down after Juarez outlets reported on them, according to Border Report.