Cartel-Linked Tunnel Smuggler Pleads Guilty In Texas Federal Case
Luis Carlos Davalos-Lopez pleaded guilty Friday, September 4, 2026, to one count of conspiracy to bring migrants into the United States in a federal case in El Paso, Texas.[1]
Prosecutors said court-authorized wiretaps captured Davalos-Lopez discussing movement of migrants, fees and logistics tied to the tunnel operation.[1] Authorities say migrants were charged as much as $30,000 and were moved underground into a modified box truck parked over a storm-drain manhole with a trap door.[1]
The tunnel was uncovered in January 2025 and ran from Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, into El Paso's public storm-drain system.[1] Federal investigators have attributed the passage to Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion and say the smuggling network was tied to drug and weapons trafficking.
An associate, Maria Del Rosario Navarro-Sanchez, pleaded guilty in August 2026 to conspiracy to provide material support to CJNG, a development prosecutors point to as part of a broader effort to use terrorism statutes against cartel networks.
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📌 Key Facts
- On Friday, September 4, 2026, Luis Carlos Davalos-Lopez pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to bring migrants into the U.S.
- The tunnel, uncovered in January 2025, ran from Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, into El Paso, Texas's public storm drain system and was attributed by officials to Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion.
- Migrants were charged up to $30,000 to cross and were moved underground to a modified box truck parked over a manhole with a trap door.
- Wiretaps tied the tunnel operation to drug and weapons trafficking, and captured Davalos-Lopez discussing movement of migrants, fees, and logistics.
- Associate Maria Del Rosario Navarro-Sanchez pleaded guilty in August 2026 to conspiracy to provide material support to CJNG, highlighting the administration's use of terrorism statutes against cartels.
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