Federal Authorities Shut Down a 79-Meter-Long Clandestine Tunnel in Nogales Leading to the US

“Sol Prendido” for Borderland Beat 

On April 9, 2026, Mexico’s Security Cabinet reported that a coordinated intelligence operation successfully disabled a clandestine underground tunnel—measuring 79 meters in length and 4.5 meters in depth—located in the Colonia Centro neighborhood of Nogales, Sonora, and oriented toward U.S. territory. During the operation, one individual allegedly linked to smuggling and human trafficking activities was detained, and 21 rounds of ammunition were seized.

The intervention was carried out pursuant to a search warrant authorized by a Control Judge, who granted the order based on evidence gathered through both stationary and mobile surveillance operations. The action was executed jointly by the Secretariat of the Navy (SEMAR), the Federal Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection (SSPC), the Attorney General's Office (FGR), the Secretariat of National Defense (SEDENA), the National Guard (GN), and the Secretariat of Public Security of the State of Sonora.

The tunnel was described by authorities as a rough, irregular excavation lacking an enabled exit to the outside at the time of its discovery, indicating that the structure was still under construction. According to the Security Cabinet's statement, the property where the tunnel was located was being used by a criminal cell to conduct smuggling and human trafficking operations. The identity of the detained individual wasn’t disclosed, although authorities identified the person as a member of a criminal group operating within the Sonora border region.

The property was placed under the custody of the Federal Public Prosecutor's Office, which proceeded to conduct the corresponding investigations. Authorities noted that actions of this nature undermine the logistical capabilities of criminal groups and bolster security along the Sonora border strip. Advertisement

Nogales, Sonora, is one of the busiest crossing points between Mexico and the U.S. state of Arizona, making it a corridor of constant interest to organizations engaged in the trafficking of people and illicit goods. This discovery represents one of the most recent blows to the clandestine infrastructure of criminal groups along the country's northern border. In January 2025, U.S. authorities shut down a tunnel approximately 40 meters long running beneath the bed of the Rio Grande—on the border between Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, and El Paso, Texas—which was allegedly operated by the criminal group known as "La Línea."

The Colonia Centro neighborhood of Nogales, Sonora.

Source: Zeta Tijuana