Border Patrol: Transportation workers discover tunnel near Downtown El Paso

The U.S. Border Patrol said transportation workers discovered a tunnel near Downtown El Paso Thursday.

The tunnel extends 25 yards north of the border, a Border Patrol official said.

Border Patrol Agents working near a water treatment plant northwest of the Chihuahuita neighborhood were notified by employees from the Texas Department of Transportation about a cave-in that occurred during the construction of a roadway.

The cave-in led to the discovery of a tunnel originating north from the international border. “The U.S. Border Patrol, El Paso Sector is currently deploying its confined-space resource teams to the area in order to determine the extent of the structure,” a news release states.

A Border Patrol official said the tunnel is being filled so it cannot be used again. The agency did not reveal if the tunnel was used to smuggle drugs or people across the border.

The Border Patrol said its investigation continues.