Tuesday, July 1, 2025

Border control measures to stop nonessential traffic lifted in Sonora

Given the exponential increase in cases of Covid-19 in the state of Arizona, the government of Sonora and Mexico’s National Immigration Institute (INM) installed checkpoints at the border to prevent non-essential crossings from the United States into Mexico over the July 4 holiday weekend.

But they were withdrawn Tuesday in spite of the original plan to leave them in place until July 20 in accordance with an agreement between the United States and Mexico to restrict tourism and recreational travel. However, it was an agreement that saw little enforcement south of the border for inbound traffic.

The temporary closure of the border in Sonora ended even as Arizona remains an epicenter of the pandemic in the United States. On Friday morning, officials reported 4,221 new cases of the coronavirus in the state in the past 24 hours

Restrictive measures had been taken at the border crossings in Agua Prieta, Nogales and San Luis Río Colorado, but state authorities made an exception at the crossing between Lukeville, Arizona, and Sonoyta, Sonora, where tourists who had hotel reservations at the beach town of Puerto Peñasco were allowed entry.

That did not sit well with Sonoyta residents, who decided Saturday to protest and temporarily blocked the highway leading into their town, through which beach-bound tourists must pass.

The protesters expressed their concern about the lack of health services in their community and the risk of an outbreak posed by travelers. 

The Mexico and U.S. governments announced travel restrictions in mid-March and then extended them in May and June. A further extension into August is likely, Foreign Minister Ebrard said on Thursday.

Source: Milenio (sp), Forbes (sp)

Have something to say? Paid Subscribers get all access to make & read comments.
Sinaloa violence

20 killed in gruesome massacre attributed to ‘Los Mayos’ in Culiacán

0
The massacre of 20 people, five of whom were decapitated, is the deadliest single episode of violence of what has widely been described as a "war" between "Los Chapitos" and "Los Mayos."
dancers in traditional costumes

Profits from this year’s Guelaguetza festival to help Oaxaca rebuild from Hurricane Erick

0
Oaxaca Governor Salomón Jara announced on Friday that all profits from the Guelaguetza festival, the state’s preeminent Indigenous cultural event, will be used to reconstruct regions destroyed by Hurricane Erick.
Tecate forest fires in Baja California

Conafor reports Tecate blaze is 75% contained after 15 days of wildfire

0
The fire, which has now spread to over 16,000 hectares, started on June 16 in the Guadalajara 2 community of Tecate, a municipality of approximately 100,000.