Mexican truckers protest Texas inspections

Hundreds of parked trucks waited for miles on Tuesday along the Zaragoza International Bridge connecting the Mexican city of Juárez to El Paso, Texas. Similar truck protests also halted commercial traffic at the border crossing at Santa Teresa, N.M., and the Pharr-Reynosa International Bridge in South Texas. Truckers in Mexico blocked north and southbound commercial traffic to slow trade with the United States. Mexico’s National Chamber of Freight Transportation said the delays at the Pharr bridge, the largest crossing for imported Mexican produce, could cost about $8 million in losses each day.

What inspired the blockage? The protests began Monday afternoon in response to additional inspections announced last week by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott. Abbott said the checks on commercial vehicles, separate from those already conducted by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, will help stem illegal migration and other illegal activities. Truckers now face wait times of up to 12 hours at some border crossings. Many have said they would not move until the U.S. inspection times return to normal.

Dig deeper: Read Carolina Lumetta’s report in The Stew on trucker protests along the D.C. Beltway.