Texas halts mandatory state inspections of all commercial vehicles entering U.S.
Following weeks of long wait times for truckers crossing the U.S. border from Mexico, officials in Texas are putting a stop to state-led inspections that have been blamed for causing congestion.
According to reports, the Texas Department of Public Safety has ended mandatory inspections of all commercial trucks crossing international bridges into the state. The impacted crossings include:
While the policy of inspecting 100% of trucks crossing the border from Mexico has been suspended, officials said “random” inspections still will occur 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.”
Launched in September as part of Gov. Greg Abbott’s Operation Lone Star border security initiative, the Texas DPS border inspections are in addition to those conducted by Mexican customs, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the U.S. Department of Transportation.
In June, the governor signed a package of bills allocating an additional $5.1 billion to border security.
“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 all commercial vehicles comes after weeks of pressure from Mexican officials.
On Oct. 9, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador condemned Abbott for ordering the inspections, calling the measures unilateral and irresponsible and accusing the governor of using the situation for political gain.
The inspections have led to long lines and wait times for truckers. At the height of the delays, Mexico’s national cargo transport chamber reported nearly 19,000 trucks – loaded with an estimated $1.9 billion in cargo – were stuck waiting to cross the border.
With the long waits having a significant impact on international commerce, officials urged the U.S. government to intervene.
“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 recently ended DPS inspections in Eagle Pass but immediately began the same practices in Laredo, where a majority of commercial trucks cross into the United States.
Drivers can monitor border wait times at various ports of entry here. LL
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