Two rail bridges between Mexico and Texas reopened on Friday four days after they were closed.
“Beginning December 22, 2023 at 2:00 pm Eastern, CBP’s Office of Field Operations will resume operations at the international railway crossing bridges in Eagle Pass and El Paso, Texas,” U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said in a statement.
CBP suspended operations at the two bridges on Monday “in order to redirect personnel to assist the U.S. Border Patrol with taking migrants into custody,” according to a statement published last Sunday.
The agency said at the time that it had observed “a recent resurgence of smuggling organizations moving migrants through Mexico via freight trains” and that it was “taking additional actions to surge personnel and address this concerning development, including in partnership with Mexican authorities.”
Business and agriculture groups in both Mexico and the United States expressed their opposition to the rail bridge closures, warning that they would generate heavy economic losses.
Top Mexican farm lobby National Agricultural Council (CNA) said Wednesday that the decision to close the two rail bridges on the Mexico-U.S. border was affecting international trade between the two countries, including the southward flow of yellow corn and soybean meal used as livestock fodder as well as products for “industrial use.”
On Friday, the lobby expressed its “sincere appreciation” to Mexican and U.S. authorities for the “rapid and effective reopening” of the crossings.
In its statement, the CBP noted that in recent weeks it “has made a number of operational adjustments in order to maximize our ability to respond, process, and enforce consequences” amid a surge of migrants to the Mexico-U.S. border.
As of December 22, it said that:
- In Eagle Pass, Texas vehicular processing remains suspended at Eagle Pass International Bridge 1.
- In San Diego, California, San Ysidro’s Pedestrian West operations remain suspended.
- In Lukeville, Arizona, the Lukeville Port of Entry operations remain suspended.
- In Nogales, Arizona, the Morely Gate border crossing operations remain suspended.
Mexico News Daily
