Two previously deported drug dealers and three unaccompanied children were among a group of 19 Mexican nationals found hiding in a San Diego drainage system near the border.
U.S. Border Patrol agents from the Chula Vista Station made the discovery on May 4 after a remote video surveillance system detected suspicious activity near the drainage tunnels.
“They thought they could sneak into the United States, but their attempt at evading CBP was flushed away!” U.S. Customs and Border Protection shared on social media. “Two of the individuals were previously deported drug dealers!”
They thought they could sneak into the United States, but their attempt at evading CBP was flushed away!
On May 4th, U.S. Border Patrol agents from the Chula Vista Station arrested 19 people discovered hiding in a drainage system near the border in San Diego.
Two of the…
— CBP (@CBP) May 18, 2026
Among those arrested were 35-year-old Raudel Carrillo-Padilla and 31-year-old Ivan Carrillo-Padilla. They are brothers who were previously deported and have convictions in 2017 for possession, transport and intent to sell methamphetamine out of Yreka, California.
The younger Ivan Carrillo-Padilla had an additional deportation after being arrested for a 2019 drug-related interdiction stop in Eugene, Oregon, CBP said in a news release.
Agents responded to the area around 10:40 p.m. and found a group attempting to illegally enter the United States through the tunnel system.
Photos released by CBP show part of a grate missing from the tunnel, which is partially filled with water.
San Diego Sector Chief Patrol Agent Justin De La Torre credited the vigilance of Border Patrol agents and the effective use of surveillance technology for catching the group before they could disperse further into California.
“These smuggling attempts are not only dangerous, but they also frequently involve individuals who pose a threat to public safety,” De La Torre said. “If you try to illegally cross our border, we will catch you and arrest you.”
Border Patrol agents arrested 16 adults and three unaccompanied children, all citizens of Mexico. The San Diego Sector Tunnel Team arrived to search and clear the drainage system, confirming no additional individuals were concealed inside.
All 19 illegals were transported to the Chula Vista Station for processing. They will face either removal or federal prosecution.
Elsewhere, the Laredo, Texas, area continues to be a hotbed of smuggling activity. Border Patrol agents in the Laredo Sector have reported several recent busts, including illegal aliens hidden in a stash house against their will as well as packed in a belly dump trailer.
The U.S. Border Patrol Chief X account shared news of one stash house shutdown on May 14.
The Border Patrol chief wrote: “What started as a single human smuggling event quickly turned into something bigger in Laredo, TX. Agents followed leads to a location where seven more illegal aliens were being held.”
A total of eight illegal aliens from Guatemala, Mexico and El Salvador were taken into custody, and each will face charges and deportation. Two smugglers were also arrested and are facing alien smuggling charges.
On May 13, Laredo Sector agents thwarted another human smuggling attempt after stopping a vehicle. They arrested three illegal immigrants, which led them to uncover a separate stash house near Laredo, where 15 illegal aliens were arrested.
“The illegal aliens were reportedly held against their will, locked inside the stash house,” the Border Patrol chief wrote on X. “There is no safe haven. If you cross illegally, you will be arrested, prosecuted, and deported.”
The Laredo Sector shared photos of a dangerous smuggling scheme on May 15 on its Facebook page. According to the post, agents stopped a tractor cab pulling a belly dump trailer on Interstate 35 in Laredo as it attempted to bypass an immigration checkpoint.
“What they uncovered was a desperate smuggling attempt: 19 illegal aliens, including an unaccompanied minor, concealed within the hollow ‘belly’ of the trailer,” the post states. “The driver was arrested and now faces alien smuggling charges, and the illegal aliens will be processed for deportation.”
