Texas e-cigarette shop owner arrested for allegedly hiding an unfinished tunnel inside his shop, possibly linked to international smuggling

Key points:

·Event and Response: An e-cigarette store in Texas was found to have a 25-foot deep illegal tunnel, with the owner facing drug charges and arrested; cocaine and marijuana were seized during the operation, the store in question is temporarily closed but the tunnel will be dismantled, with 22 other inspected stores and 2 individuals arrested. 

·Background and Regulations: The operation falls under the jurisdiction of the Drug Enforcement Administration, targeting e-cigarette stores selling products containing THC and other illegal substances; Texas Senate Bill 2024 went into effect on September 1, explicitly making e-cigarettes containing THC illegal, especially when sold to minors. 

·Border Smuggling Trend: Laredo is a trafficking point for drug cartels smuggling drugs into the country, officials predict that, to avoid the US military, cartels may use tunnels for smuggling; a 1000-foot illicit tunnel was discovered at the San Diego border in 2025. 

·Youth Protection: Local officials are taking precautions to protect elementary and middle school students from the dangers of products containing THC, expressing concerns about easy access to e-cigarettes and similar products for young people.

2Firsts, on September 24, 2025, the owner of an e-cigarette store in Texas was arrested and faced drug-related criminal charges after federal and local law enforcement officers found a tunnel inside the store. Investigators believe that the tunnel may be connected to an international criminal organization. According to News Nation Now, this incident was reported on September 23.

Officials stated that during a week-long enforcement operation, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) discovered a 25-foot (approximately 7.6 meters) tunnel in an e-cigarette shop in the city of Laredo. The operation, named "Operation Vaporizer," targeted e-cigarette shops across the United States, including those along the US-Mexico border.

Houston district officials from the drug enforcement agency revealed that the unfinished tunnel was intended for illegal activities. During the investigation involving the Laredo police department, law enforcement officers seized cocaine and marijuana.

The owner of this e-cigarette store in Laredo, Gilberto Pena, has been charged with possession of controlled substances. This drug enforcement operation is part of a crackdown on e-cigarette shops selling products containing tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) or other illegal substances. Texas Senate Bill 2024 went into effect on September 1, explicitly stating that e-cigarettes containing THC are illegal products, especially prohibiting the sale of such products to minors.

Officials stated that a total of 22 e-cigarette shops in Laredo were inspected, resulting in only one person being arrested. County officials expressed that despite Peña's store still being in operation, authorities will return to dismantle the tunnel at that location in the future.

Laredo is an important entry point for drug trafficking organizations to smuggle illegal drugs into the United States. Isidro Alaniz, the local prosecutor of Webb County, Texas, told NewsNation that investigations will be further intensified to determine the potential connection between the tunnel and drug trafficking organizations, as these groups use various methods to transport drugs into the country.

Our city is a gateway into the United States," Alanis said. "Like other communities in Texas, our biggest concern is ensuring that these illegal substances do not end up in the hands of young people.

Alanis stated that local officials are focusing on protecting students from elementary school to high school age from the harmful effects of tetrahydrocannabinol products. He mentioned that officials have found an increasing number of young people trying products such as e-cigarettes, and the easy accessibility of these products is concerning.

Officials in the border region of Texas in the United States have stated that drug trafficking groups may increasingly rely on tunnels to smuggle both people and drugs in order to avoid US military forces in the area. As a result, similar cases in the United States are expected to rise in the future.

Earlier in 2025, border patrol agents in San Diego discovered and dismantled a large-scale smuggling tunnel that extended over 1000 feet into the United States. The tunnel was used to transport a significant amount of contraband.

Lieutenant Chris Olivarez of the Texas Department of Public Safety believes that due to the Trump administration's increased emphasis on strengthening border security in the southern United States, drug trafficking groups will adjust their methods of smuggling illegal drugs into the country.

Olivares stated that although drug trafficking groups are still continuing to smuggle people and drugs across borders, often relying on tunnels and hideouts to carry out their activities, the increased efforts by federal immigration officials and the US military in border enforcement have changed the operating mode of these drug trafficking groups.

He also mentioned that an increasing number of cases demonstrate that drug trafficking groups are beginning to target young people, using them to assist in smuggling operations.