Mexico Closes Smuggling Tunnel Ahead of Trump's Inauguration for 'Entry into the United States'

Mexican authorities announced on the 19th (local time) that they have decided to block tunnels used for illegal entry into the United States recently discovered at their national border.

According to BBC, Jose Lemus, the military commander of the Ciudad Juarez region, stated that the tunnel discovered that day will be sealed. He also revealed that an investigation is underway to determine whether local officials colluded in the construction of the tunnel. The tunnel was discovered by U.S. border patrol agents on the 10th and is estimated to have taken about a year to build. There are suspicions that the tunnel was constructed with the tacit approval or collusion of local Mexican officials.

The tunnel, created for transporting illegal immigrants and smuggled goods into the United States, is an artificial passage approximately 300 meters long connecting Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, and El Paso, Texas, equipped with lighting and ventilation facilities.

Mexico is strengthening enforcement in border areas ahead of the inauguration of the Trump administration’s second term, which has declared new policies on illegal immigration. Recently, the largest-ever immigration crackdown was conducted, and foreign immigrants were transported to southern regions of Mexico. This appears to be a response to Trump’s campaign promises to strictly limit illegal immigration and carry out large-scale deportations.

BBC reported that the issue of illegal immigrants from Mexico has been a stumbling block in U.S.-Mexico relations, and that this issue played a decisive role in securing Trump’s victory in the U.S. presidential election last November.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.