January 1, Texas Launches Tunnel Hunt at Border Properties

Wyatt’s Take

• Texas is checking state border land for cartel tunnels.
• Leaders want to stop drug and human smuggling under the border.
• Modern tech and strong partnerships are now key to protecting communities.

Texas is stepping up the fight against drug cartels by ordering inspections of state land along the southern border for tunnels. Commissioner Dawn Buckingham says cartels are thinking about going underground to dodge tougher border rules.

“We’ve gotten the message that they are starting to think about tunneling, and so there’s some new technology on the front. We’re partnering up with local officials and federal officials, and we’ll do everything we can for complete operational control of our border and to keep our communities safe and prosperous for our kids,” Buckingham told Just The News.

Recent tunnel discoveries in San Diego and El Paso show that smugglers are now using secret underground paths. Texas will use drones and aerial surveillance during land checks, teaming up with federal agencies to target the most at-risk spots.

“They are kind of like cockroaches that run to the corners and hide in the crevices,” Buckingham also said. “They’re going to continue to bring ingenuity to their craft. You can’t expect that you’re going to negatively impact their business and then not to try and find another way.”

The federal government is spending $100 million on new tunnel-detecting technology, and Mexican cartels have now been called terrorist groups, giving law enforcement more tools to fight back. Texas’s efforts build on earlier actions, like clearing dangerous brush and building new border barriers on state-owned land.

Border agents recently found a tunnel over 1,000 feet long in southern California, meant for drugs to move north under the border. Mexican cartels first dug tunnels in the 1990s, and these passages have gotten more advanced, some with lights and rail tracks.

Since 1990, U.S. officials have found over 180 such tunnels. Cartels use them to smuggle fentanyl, meth, and people across into America, showing just how far criminals will go to keep their operation alive.

If strong border security matters to you and your family, keep an eye on what Texas is doing and what’s happening at the federal level. These efforts could make a real difference in stopping illegal trafficking that threatens our families.

Wyatt Matters

Texas is sending a message that the safety of its people and land comes first. By taking bold steps and calling out real threats, it stands up for law and order where it matters most—right here at home.

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