TIJUANA, Mexico — Traditionally, crossing the Mexican border has been a quick and easy journey for U.S. drivers, but this could change soon. New technology in place at Mexican entry ports, intended to stop the flow of ammunition for drug cartels, could mean longer wait times to enter the country. The government is reacting to a recent upsurge in cartel activity that has generated a bloody war in Mexico's streets.
The government of President Calderón has maintained a firm stance against these violent groups. But the demand for drugs has emboldened drug dealers to increase their activities despite government action.
Mexicans have long waited as much as three hours to cross to the United States while their vehicles are weighed and scanned and a customs agent checks visas. In contrast, southbound traffic from the U.S. into Mexico from more than 30 entry ports set up along the 2,000 miles of border has been a matter of simply reducing speed and being waved past by Mexico's border authorities.
The Mexican government had been delaying implementation of the new system, concerned that it could deter visitors from crossing the border, especially in a critical year when the H1N1 flu has kept tourism down.
The new system will allow cars entering Mexico to be fully checked without stopping, but driving slowly across a scale as a camera scans license plates to check for criminal history reports on the vehicles. Only suspected vehicles would be forced to stop and go through more thorough inspections. The system is hoped to add only a matter of several seconds to the wait time, the government says.
Inside Line says: A safer border control could help keep the streets on both sides of the border safer from drug cartels. — Loriana Marietta, Correspondent
Add A Comment »
ferenc says:
03:13 PM, 12/01/2009
the safest thing to do is NOT TO GO TO MEXICO.