A National Guard agent inspects an illegal tunnel bound to El Paso in US, at the Mexico-US border in Ciudad Juarez (Picture: AFP)
A secret 1,000ft-long ‘narco’ underpass between Mexico and the US will be sealed off ahead of Donald Trump’s inauguration in Washington DC on Monday.
Running between the two cities of Ciudad Juarez in Mexico and El Paso in Texas, the tunnel was first discovered on January 10.
No one knows how long is has been linking the bordering nations and used to smuggle in people and contraband illegally.
US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said its agents found it during an inspection of a storm drain system in Texas.
US authorities seal the underground tunnel that was discovered on January 10 (Picture: EPA)
On Mexico’s side, the tunnel measures at about 1,000 feet and is equipped with lighting, ventilation and reinforced to prevent collapses.
The entry is six feet high and four feet wide, making it easy for people andcontraband to be brought in, said General Jose Lemus, commander of Ciudad Juarez’s military garrison, which is guarding the tunnel.
Victor Manjarrez, a former Border Patrol sector chief with over 20 years of experience, told CBS affiliate KDBC that connecting the tunnel through the storm sewer system is a common practice among smugglers.
‘This is definitely not a mom-and-pop operation at all. It’s gone way beyond that,’ he said.
It is unknown how long the tunnel has been in operation for (Picture: Reuters)
Security has been ramped up on both sides of the border – and around the underpass, which officials believe has taken years to be dug out.
This comes amid Trump’s disturbing campaign vow to deport millions of undocumented immigrants once he is sworn in to office.
‘President Trump will enlist every federal power and coordinate with state authorities to institute the largest deportation operation of illegal criminals, drug dealers, and human traffickers in US history while simultaneously lowering costs for families and strengthening our workforce,’ said Karoline Leavitt, spokesperson for the Trump administration transition team.
It is also understood that raids to detain and deport migrants living in the US without permission are set to begin on the first full day of the new administration, according to the BBC.
An interior view of a cross-border tunnel as officials inspect the cross-border tunnel (Picture: Getty)
In the last few hours, it was reported that Trump plans to sign more than 200 executive actions tomorrow, including a declaration of national border emergency and directing military to help secure Mexican border.
‘The administration is not yet sworn in, but people are already afraid,’ said Sarait Martinez, executive director of the Centro Binacional para el Desarrollo Indígena Oaxaqueño (CBDIO), an organisation that supports indigenous Mexican farmworkers in the Central Valley of California.
Four US rural and legal advocacy groups, including CBDIO, said they have seen as much as a10-fold increase in interest from immigrant farmworkers in workshops and resources they provide on what to do if confronted by immigration officials and how to ensure their family’s security if they are detained.
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