Truckers Protest Lengthy Wait Time at US-Mexico Border, Texas Governor’s Stringent Inspection

Trucks wait in a long queue to cross into the United States after the Texas Department of Public Safety announced increased security checks at the international ports of entry into Texas, at the Zaragoza-Ysleta border crossing bridge in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, on April 9, 2022. Jose Luis Gonzalez/Reuters

Truck drivers from Mexico continued with their protests at the U.S. border, blockading bridges for a second day on April 12 after Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s order to increase vehicle inspections caused long traffic snarls.

The government of Mexico announced its displeasure at the new rules, warning that around two-thirds of normal trade between the two sides was being held up, resulting in the loss of “significant revenue” for Mexican and American businesses. At one bridge connecting Reynosa, Mexico, with Pharr, Texas, truckers parked their vehicles on the Mexican side and held barbecues at the spot.