Gov. Greg Abbott and Nuevo León Gov. Samuel Alejandro García Sepúlveda announced an agreement Wednesday they say will help ease commercial traffic at the Laredo-Colombia bridge, one of at least four international ports of entry where international trade has been snarled since Abbott ordered Texas state troopers to do additional inspections on cargo.
As part of the deal, Texas Department of Public Safety troopers will stop inspecting every commercial truck on the Laredo–Colombia Solidarity International Bridge as long as Nuevo León has checkpoints on its side of the Mexican state’s 9-mile-long border. Texas’ controversial inspections — which have caused hourslong delays, spurred protests at ports of entry and fueled fears of food shortages — will continue for trucks coming from the other three Mexican states that border Texas.
“If Nuevo León can assure security, technology, security checkpoints and patrol the border to help Texas and Texas can help us with more merchandise, with more commerce, we will do it,” García Sepúlveda said.
