After weeks of frustrating delays for truckers entering the U.S. from Mexico, Texas officials have made a crucial decision to stop state-led inspections that have been causing traffic congestion. The Texas Department of Public Safety has announced the suspension of mandatory inspections for all commercial trucks entering the state via international bridges. The affected crossing points are:
- Bridge of the Americas
- Ysleta-Zaragoza Bridge
- Colombia Bridge
While the previous policy of inspecting every truck crossing from Mexico has been halted, officials have confirmed that random inspections will still take place in Laredo and El Paso.
“The Texas Department of Public Safety has resumed normal commercial vehicle safety inspections at the Bridge of the Americas, the Ysleta–Zaragoza Bridge and the Colombia Bridge, which includes random inspections, as those vehicles cross into Texas,” Ericka Miller, press secretary with the Texas DPS, told Border Report. “DPS is no longer conducting commercial vehicle inspections at the Tornillo Port of Entry. For security reasons, the department does not discuss operational specifics.”
Texas DPS border inspections were introduced in September as a component of Gov. Greg Abbott’s Operation Lone Star. These inspections complement the efforts of Mexican customs, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the U.S. Department of Transportation. The governor further strengthened border security by signing a series of bills in June, providing an extra $5.1 billion in funding.
“This package of six bills will expand Texas’ unprecedented efforts to hold the line and protect Texans from the record level of illegal immigration, weapons and deadly drugs pouring into Texas from Mexico caused by President Biden’s refusal to secure the border,” the governor’s office said in a statement.
The state’s decision to end mandatory inspections on commercial vehicles follows pressure from Mexican officials. Mexican President criticized the inspections as unilateral and irresponsible. Long lines and delays for truckers, resulting in billions of dollars worth of cargo stuck at the border. International commerce was affected, prompting calls for U.S. intervention.
“The Mexican government urges the U.S. government to mediate with Texas to stop the exhaustive inspections of cargo trucks carried out by the Texas Department of Public Safety,” Mexico’s foreign ministry said in a statement.
The state has just halted DPS inspections in Eagle Pass; however, these inspections have now shifted to Laredo, where the majority of commercial trucks cross into the United States.
Track your border wait times at different ports of entry by clicking HERE.
Source: Land Line
