Mexico Says Texas Truck Inspections Delaying Shipments

Mexico’s Economy Department called on Texas to stop the stepped-up truck inspections at the Brownsville-Matamoros crossings, claiming some shipments have been delayed as long as 27 hours.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott authorized the added enforcement, which started May 8, by the Texas Department of Public Safety in a similar fashion to 2022 increased inspections. The move is a part of the governor’s larger Operation Lone Star, a multi-agency effort to secure the state’s border with the expiration of Title 42.

Abbott has claimed such increased inspections of commercial trucks are meant to stop the smuggling of migrants and drugs. But in 2022 inspectors didn’t report finding any, reports the Associated Press.

During the eight days of added inspections in April 2022, troopers inspected more than 4,100 vehicles. They didn’t find any drugs, weapons, or other contraband, but they took 850 vehicles off the road for various equipment violations and cited at least 345 drivers for things such as underinflated tires, broken turn signals, and oil leaks, reports The Texas Tribune.

Renewed Texas truck inspections at Matamoros-Brownsville crossing are once again delaying freight at the border, Mexico says https://t.co/4QgHWehBUM #texasnews

— NBC DFW (@NBCDFW) May 15, 2023

Mexico’s stance is that it is the role of U.S. federal law enforcement, not states, to enforce drug smuggling and immigration laws.

“The imposition of these inspections is creating millions in losses for both Mexican and U.S. firms,” the Economy Department said in a statement. “In the end, U.S. consumers will be the ones who pay the price for these policies,”

In 2022, Abbott lifted the inspections after signing agreements with the four governors of the Mexican border states that they would increase security measures to prevent the smuggling of drugs and migrants.