The El Paso Sector Border Patrol shared video showing agents pursuing and detaining migrants inside a drainage system.
The video, posted to X on Sept. 1, begins with what appear to be migrants entering a drainage system with the border wall visible in the background. It then cuts to Border Patrol agents entering the drain, moving through underground tunnels and eventually detaining migrants.
It is unclear exactly where the video was recorded, but the agency used the post to warn that the border is closed to unlawful entry.
“We monitor the subterranean domain—including storm drain systems. From the skies to the networks beneath our cities—We are surveilling active threats. Attempt to enter the United States unlawfully, and we will find, arrest,
and deport you,” the agency wrote on X.
We monitor the subterranean domain—including storm drain systems.
— El Paso Sector Border Patrol (@USBPChiefEPT) September 1, 2026
From the skies to the networks beneath our cities—We are surveilling active threats. Attempt to enter the United States unlawfully, and we will find, arrest, and deport you.
THE BORDER IS CLOSED. pic.twitter.com/0D0cZ9B2Wz
Border Patrol recently gave Fox News a look inside underground tunnels used by migrants in El Paso. The outlet reported there are 32 entry points from the Rio Grande and hundreds of exit points throughout the city.
Agents typically encounter two to three migrants at a time inside the system, while smugglers can charge between $20,000 and $30,000 to move migrants underground, according to Fox News.
Border Patrol has previously warned of the dangers associated with smugglers using El Paso's drainage system.
In a 2024 news release issued after dozens of migrants were apprehended in the city's drainage system, the agency said the tunnels can expose migrants to serious risks, including injury and death.
“The complex drainpipe system that travels from the city of El Paso to the Rio Grande River can transport toxic and hazardous substances that can pose serious health risks. Migrants also face the possibility of drowning or suffocation as some of these storm drains are only a few inches in diameter and pose a threat to migrants as they could become trapped with limited access to air,” the agency said.
Natassia Paloma may be reached at npaloma@gannett.com, @NatassiaPaloma on X, natassia_paloma on Instagram, and Natassia Paloma on Facebook.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Border Patrol video shows agents chasing migrants in El Paso drains
