US Commences Dynamite Blasts for Border Wall Construction Near Ciudad Juárez
Chihuahua, Chih. January 20, 2026 – United States authorities initiated controlled dynamite explosions in the Sierra Muleros, also known as Cristo Rey Mountain, located in the border area between Sunland Park, New Mexico, and Anapra, Ciudad Juárez. These blasts are part of an ongoing project to construct a 12-meter high border fence, designed to impede illegal migrant crossings.
Controlled Explosions and Public Warnings
The Directorate of Civil Protection of the Ciudad Juárez City Council issued a preventive advisory to residents of the Anapra sector regarding the controlled explosions. These operations commenced on January 20, 2026, and are expected to continue for several days.
“The public is informed that dynamitations (explosions) will be carried out in the border area between the United States and Mexico by US authorities, who are currently carrying out constructions in the area. These works will take place in the Rancho Anapra area and will begin on January 20, 2025,” the advisory stated.
Residents were warned through leaflets to maintain a distance of at least 150 meters from the border line. The first detonation occurred at midday on January 20, monitored by construction workers on the US side and a dozen Mexican Army soldiers in Humvee vehicles, who prevented people from approaching the area. Despite the loud noise and a column of dust that rose from one of the border hills near Anapra, no damage to homes was reported.
Project Scope and Environmental Concerns
The construction work, involving these dynamitations in the Sierra Muleros, is part of a border wall expansion project announced by the administration of President Donald Trump in June of last year. This specific section of the border between Ciudad Juárez and New Mexico spans approximately 11 kilometers, from Rancho Anapra to the Jerónimo-Santa Teresa crossing, and in some segments features a double fence reaching 12 meters in height.
The environmental collective Sierra de Juárez has voiced strong opposition, denouncing that the construction of this new section of the border wall in the Sierra Muleros/Cristo Rey Mountain will significantly impact local flora and fauna. They argue that the project threatens species that rely on the continuity of the landscape for survival, describing it as an “ecocide” and the “end of a binational biological corridor.”
“This mountain range represents the only biological connection between two large mountain systems: the Sierra de Juárez and the Franklin Mountains. It is a natural bridge, a corridor that allows the transit of flora and fauna species that depend on the continuity of the landscape to survive, reproduce, and maintain the balance of the ecosystem,” stated the environmental group.
The collective emphasizes that the border, while a political construct, does not exist for the natural world, and that the destruction of this corridor will have lasting ecological consequences for the region.
Local Reactions and Future Outlook
While Civil Protection authorities focused on ensuring public safety during the blasts, the environmental implications remain a significant point of contention. The project highlights the ongoing tension between national security objectives and environmental preservation efforts along the US-Mexico border.
The explosions are expected to continue for several days, indicating a prolonged period of construction activity in the sensitive ecological zone. The long-term effects of these dynamitations and the completed wall on the delicate ecosystem of the Sierra Muleros will be closely monitored by environmental organizations and local communities.
