Texas remains ground zero in the nation’s border crisis.
This week, federal agents carried out two significant enforcement actions that highlight the growing threats to public safety and national sovereignty: the removal of a Mexican homicide suspect from West Texas and the discovery of a cartel-engineered drug tunnel near the southern border.
Mexican fugitive captured in Carlsbad, Texas
On June 18, Immigration and Customs Enforcement Dallas repatriated Joaquin Gallegos, 33, a Mexican national wanted in Zacatecas for homicide. He had previously entered the U.S. illegally in 2020 and was removed that same year—only to reenter unlawfully again. ICE fugitive operations officers arrested him in Carlsbad, Texas on March 25, 2025.
“Gallegos has been returned to his home country to face accountability for very serious crimes,” said Josh Johnson, Acting Field Office Director for ERO Dallas.
“The communities of North Texas and Oklahoma will not be a haven for foreign fugitives evading law enforcement.”
Gallegos is now in Mexican custody and faces prosecution. ICE emphasized that his removal is part of a broader effort to eliminate foreign fugitives who endanger American communities.
Border Patrol uncovers 1,300-foot cartel tunnel
While ICE handled criminal fugitives inland, U.S. Border Patrol agents in California discovered a highly sophisticated drug tunnel stretching from Tijuana to a warehouse in San Diego. The tunnel featured concrete walls, electricity, ventilation, and a rail system—hallmarks of Sinaloa Cartel construction.
ICYMI: BP agents in San Diego found a narcotics smuggling tunnel linking Tijuana to the SD area. This highly sophisticated tunnel extended more than 1K ft into the U.S., and had lighting, ventilation, and a track for transporting contraband.
Read more: https://t.co/Eu0YVMua8H pic.twitter.com/yUltyc0gBS
— CBP (@CBP) June 24, 2025
Nearby, agents recovered caches of cocaine and methamphetamine. Though no arrests were made at the scene, Homeland Security Investigations has launched a coordinated multi-agency probe into the operation.
Federal officials say tunnels like this bypass ports of entry entirely—enabling traffickers to smuggle drugs and criminals directly into the U.S.
A coordinated crisis
These two cases—one on the border, the other in rural Texas—show how cartels and fugitives exploit the failures of America’s immigration system.
From repeat illegal reentry to underground trafficking networks, the message is clear: without strong enforcement, the United States becomes a refuge for predators and smugglers.
