Anger mounts along Texas-Mexico border over long delays to commercial crossings
By Lizbeth Diaz and Jose Luis Gonzalez
CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico (Reuters) – Mexican truck drivers blockaded two busy bridges on the border with United States on Monday amid rising tensions on each side over an order by Texas Governor Greg Abbott that has slowed business crossings between Mexico and Texas.
“We’re determined as a result of now we have to attend as much as 15 hours to cross into the US,” mentioned truck driver Pedro Gonzalez as he and others protested on the Zaragoza bridge connecting Ciudad Juarez to El Paso.
Abbott ordered the state’s Division of Public Security (DPS) final week to conduct “enhanced security inspections” of autos as they cross from Mexico into Texas as a way to uncover smuggling of individuals and contraband.
The inspections have been a part of a broader effort to discourage unlawful immigration, Abbott mentioned.
Nevertheless the order has infuriated trade teams and threatened to alienate even a few of Abbott’s allies.
“We’re supporters of Governor Abbott, however sadly we weren’t considered,” mentioned Ernesto Gaytan, chairman of Texas Trucking Affiliation, who mentioned he’d been fielding calls from annoyed drivers because the order took impact.
Gaytan mentioned migrants hardly ever tried to cross the border illegally by way of business vehicles at authorized ports of entry.
“Slowing down commerce is not the answer.”
A Texas DPS spokesperson mentioned that since Abbott’s order was issued, the company had inspected practically 2,400 business autos and brought 552 autos out of service for “critical security violations” comparable to faulty brakes, tires and lighting.
The spokesperson declined to say whether or not the hassle had uncovered any smuggling makes an attempt.
A second bridge, connecting the Mexican metropolis of Reynosa to Pharr, Texas, was additionally blockaded by truck drivers.
Dante Galeazzi, president of the Texas Worldwide Produce Affiliation, mentioned the delays on the Pharr bridge alone had, since Friday, prevented an estimated $30 million of recent produce from reaching the U.S. facet.
“There are very prone to be retailer cabinets devoid of recent produce gadgets this Easter vacation weekend,” he mentioned, warning that costs would rise for customers if the delays continued.
(Reporting by Jose Luis Gonzalez in Ciudad Juarez and Lizbeth Diaz in Mexico Metropolis, extra reporting by Ted Hesson in Washington D.C. and Laura Gottesdiener in Monterrey; Modifying by Sam Holmes)
