Mexico Dismantles Migrant-Smuggling Ring That Used Tunnels to US

Mexico City — Mexican authorities have arrested eight suspected members of a criminal network that used tunnels under the border to smuggle migrants into the United States, officials said Friday.

Mexico is a transit country for thousands of migrants, mainly from Central America, who attempt to reach U.S. territory each year.

The group, known as “La Tía,” operated tunnels in Ciudad Juárez, across from El Paso, Texas, and is also suspected of involvement in drug trafficking, kidnapping and extortion, according to the Federal Prosecutor’s Office (FGR).

In raids carried out in the states of Jalisco and Chihuahua, agents detained the alleged leader of the organization, also known by the alias “La Tía.” They also seized two pickup trucks, 31 cellphones and computer equipment, the Mexican Navy said in a statement.

The investigation began in January after the U.S. Department of Homeland Security filed a complaint alleging a possible network smuggling people into the United States, the FGR said.

The arrests come weeks after Mexico and the United States stepped up security in Ciudad Juárez with air and ground operations aimed at stopping migrants and criminal groups.

Since President Donald Trump took office in 2025, the U.S. government has hardened its immigration policies and pressed Mexico to curb migrant smuggling.

More than 11,000 migrants have disappeared since 2014 in the Americas, mainly on routes between Mexico and the United States, according to the International Organization for Migration.