Did Al Capone Use Tunnels in Trinidad, Colorado, to Move Alcohol During the Prohibition Years?
During Prohibition in the 1920s and early 1930s, Trinidad became a hotspot for underground smuggling operations. Located near the New Mexico border, the town’s strategic location made it ideal for discreet liquor transport.
According to local lore, Al Capone and other organized crime figures used underground tunnels in Trinidad to store and move illegal alcohol. These tunnels, believed to be remnants of old coal mines, were reportedly repurposed to support bootlegging during this dry era.
Further north in Aguilar, stories persist about a tunnel allegedly built by unemployed coal miners under Capone’s orders. This passage was said to stretch nearly 16 miles from a Main Street drug store in Aguilar to the outskirts of Walsenburg. Large enough to accommodate a Model T truck, the tunnel reportedly allowed for the hidden transport of moonshine and personnel between communities. Some tales even claim a second tunnel linked Aguilar and Trinidad, providing a secret route over a distance of more than 30 miles.
While no definitive proof of these tunnels has been found, their legend continues to be part of Colorado’s rich history. Whether fact or folklore, these stories reflect the underground world of Prohibition-era smuggling that once thrived in the region.
This article was written by Colorado Fan Club and was posted on their Facebook page on March 19, 2026