Two weeks ago my wife and I had the opportunity to attend Mexico’s annual Tianguis Turístico (National Tourism Fair). For the first time ever, events for the fair were going to be held in both the United States and Mexico. We jumped at the opportunity to check out the event and see firsthand what seemed to be some great cooperation between the two countries at a time when much more coordination would be mutually beneficial.
The events were held in Tijuana and San Diego, which gave us the added benefits of checking out Tijuana for the first time as well as getting a feel for the San Diego/Tijuana metropolitan area of nearly 5 million people. The area in many ways acts like one big city, with an estimated 125,000 to 150,000 students, workers, tourists and health care patients crossing the border each and every day. I have always wondered how such a massive flow of people can co-exist alongside a significantly fortified wall.
I estimate that I have “crossed the border” over 250 times over the past 30 years, but every single time prior to this trip was in the sky via an airplane. Surprisingly, I have never had the opportunity to actually see the northern border of Mexico, much less cross it by car or on foot. I have, however, had the opportunity to see and cross the southern border.
Years ago, I crossed from Mexico into Guatemala while walking through coffee plantations in the Chiapas city of Cacahoatán with a machete-wielding local (he said it was for the snakes, I’m not so sure). Starting in Chiapas, we walked through fields of coffee plants right into Guatemala with not a fence or border guard in sight. The only way we knew we had in fact crossed the border was from white painted cement posts about every quarter mile or so. Quite an experience, but to tell at another time.
Back in Tijuana, I had the opportunity to cross the border several times, on foot and by car — thankfully with our newly hired San Diego-based writer driving instead of me.
To be clear, I am in no way intending to trivialize or minimize the journeys and struggles of so many millions of people who have crossed (or attempted to cross) the border when compared to my experience. I am also not advocating for open borders — I simply want to share my personal experiences from this trip.
Border crossing No. 1: From Tijuana to San Diego walking via the Cross Border Xpress (CBX) bridge
Upon arrival at the Tijuana airport from our local BJX airport in Guanajuato, we took the CBX. I had heard this was “the way to do it” and after a bit of confusion around if I should buy our CBX tickets separately or at the same time as our plane tickets — we did it separately — we chose this crossing option. I must say that it was a surreal experience.
Less than 15 minutes after deboarding the plane in Tijuana, we were in our U.S. rental car on our way to San Diego! We walked out of the plane, followed the CBX signage, scanned our pre-purchased CBX QR code in a machine and walked about 100 yards to the United States though an elevated tunnel. At the end of the tunnel we handed the U.S. border control agent our passports for a brief moment and literally a minute later were in the U.S. talking to the rental car company representative.
After seeing and reading so many stories about the border over the years, it didn’t even seem possible and took us a while to realize that we actually had landed in Mexico on a domestic flight and minutes later were now driving a car in the U.S.
Border crossing No. 2: Driving from San Diego to Tijuana (on two separate mornings)
I really wasn’t sure what to expect on this crossing. I have read the articles in MND about how border agents in the U.S. and Mexico have recently stepped up patrols of illegal firearms heading into Mexico from the north, so I was expecting to be stopped. We first drove through the U.S. side of the border, having to slow way down but never actually coming to a complete stop. There were lots of fancy-looking machines on one side that I guess were built for people with U.S. passports, but they weren’t working and I was told that they have never yet been operational despite having been installed over a year ago. We drove without stopping through the U.S. border, drove maybe a hundred yards in the “no man’s land” and then came to the Mexican border.
At the Mexican border, we again only had to slow down due to the all-too-familiar topes (speed bumps) greeting us to Mexico. Although Mexican border patrol agents were stopping an occasional car, we were not stopped and just rolled right through. We never once had to talk to anyone or show our passports on either side of the border. Our friend driving us said that in his several decades of driving south, he has never once been stopped. Total time from our hotel in San Diego across the border and into Tijuana was less than 20 minutes. Amazing.
Once in Tijuana, it is like we had landed on another planet — everything was different. I must say that Tijuana was better than I expected given the quite negative pre-conceived notions that I had about the city and the border area in general. It was a massive city literally mashed up against the border wall with countless restaurants, bars, strip clubs, pharmacies, banks, plastic surgery clinics, dentists, hospitals and other health care clinics. I couldn’t help but feel that this was a sad first impression of Mexico for so many Americans and equally an odd stereotype for Mexicans of what Americans are wanting to cross into another country for.
Within just a few yards of crossing into Mexico, we took a hard right turn and headed along the wall directly towards the ocean. It was a weird experience, driving along the see-through double metal wall (with U.S. soldiers actively installing razor wire in between the two walls). All within just a few hundred yards of driving one goes from U.S. commercial buildings through a militarized border zone to a new city with Viagra sold on nearly every corner.
We drove to where the wall goes out into the ocean, parked the car and walked around a bit. It was a heavy feeling — sad actually. I couldn’t help but think that the birds perched on the wall could freely go back and forth between the two countries, the fish in the water as well, but we humans haven’t been able to figure out how to live as neighbors without walls. Perhaps that sounds naive, but it’s what I thought in the moment as I put my hand on the wall and reflected on U.S.-Mexico relations.
There were pictures of kids from both San Diego and Tijuana who had created and planted a “friendship garden” together on the Mexican side of the border in 2007. A sign said that the purpose of the garden was to “create a place where people can make friends across the border.” I don’t say this in any way as a political statement or commentary, but it feels like in many ways we haven’t progressed a lot since then. I say that as a human being, not as a Republican or Democrat.
I was offered to be taken to the part of the border where family members from both sides can actually hug each other through the wall from opposite sides of the wall. I declined to see that — it would be too painful to see. Perhaps I should have gone to see it. Perhaps more people should see it.
Border crossing No. 3: Driving from Tijuana back into San Diego
This was the border crossing that I guess I was most looking forward to. Outside of the comfy confines of the CBX tunnel bridge, what would it be like to cross back into the United States? We have all read the recent headlines — the border has been sealed nearly shut, very few illegal immigrants are crossing anymore and both Mexico and the U.S. have sent troops to the border to assist in controlling and stopping drug and human trafficking.
It feels like half of Tijuana’s streets are actually just lanes preparing and positioning you to cross the border. Having Global Entry, we went with our friend into the SENTRI lines. He confidently told us that, in several decades, he has never once been stopped for inspection.
As we approached the U.S. border, we handed our friend our passports and he handed them and his Global Entry/SENTRI card to the border patrol agent. She immediately asked us, “Where are the other two SENTRI cards?
“My wife and I both have Global Entry and the new passports with chips in them,” I responded, thinking the passport chips had the Global Entry/SENTRI card “incorporated” into them. Turns out I was wrong, very wrong… and we were waved into secondary inspection.
As we rolled into the secondary inspection area, it was now U.S. military troops telling us what to do. Troops with guns and fatigues, who told us to first very slowly drive our car through what looked like a giant airport metal detector. We then were told (not asked) to drive the car to another area and get out of the car to be questioned. Four agents did a deep inspection of our car, tapping the doors, pushing down on the seats, checking under the car, under the hood and in the trunk. Drug sniffing dogs helped. My wife and I were brought up on computer screens and asked a series of questions. The whole process took some 30 minutes.
Of course we had nothing to hide and made an honest mistake, but it felt awkward, uncomfortable, intimidating. We were always treated with respect, but it wasn’t a fun experience. Not the greatest reception back into our country either.
For those that frequently cross the border, perhaps my experiences are ones that you have seen and experienced many times before. For those that have not, it’s worth seeing, feeling and experiencing first hand.
For those of you who have been to Berlin, Germany, and seen where the wall once was — dividing a city into two separate countries — it’s hard to imagine that could have actually happened. I couldn’t help but hope that a future generation of Mexicans and Americans can someday look back and only imagine what it must have been like when there was a wall separating the communities of San Diego and Tijuana.
Travis Bembenek is the CEO of Mexico News Daily and has been living, working or playing in Mexico for nearly 30 years.
Wow. For an individual who has crossed many times by air and not walking or driving across the border. To say you made an honest mistake surprises me. and your driver should have known. Then you would not have had to go through secondary security process that was a normal security procedure. I bet you will not do this again and learn by your mistake. Why don’t you carry your global entry card on your person when flying to the US from Mexico?
I live full time here and I do it legally as many don’t. The border crossings have gotten worse and worse as so many people live in TJ and work in San Diego because they can’t afford California along with transporting kids to US schools everyday. A new border crossing is to open in the next couple years and should help along with the new raised viaduct currently being constructed along the border wall from Playas Tijuana to the airport. This project is quiet a major construction job and cost billions and zero coverage about it.
Oh and major security has to be conducted on both sides of the border. If not the criminals would be in charge. Everyday someone is being arrested with drugs or guns coming and going. I very appreciative what the CBP is doing and see the Mexican federal patrols trying to stop the flow of guns coming south more and more.
My three worst interactions with US gov officials was coming back into the US from Mexico. I was threatened by jail twice. I was threatened with having my car/motorcycle impounded twice. I had more than a 200 dollars of food thrown away that is clearly allowed, as seen on US gov websites, to be brought in from Mexico. I was cursed. I was considered suspect. I was asked the most ridiculous questions. I was told I was lying. My vehicle was once searched for 45 minutes. They were ALL terribly rude. And this was all prior to Trump. In the end I was allowed in. Nothing was found because I indeed didn’t have anything illegal. I wasn’t arrested.
And now everytime I go into Mexico and have EXACTLY the opposite experience I know I chose the right place to escape to.
I don’t bring food back. A border crossing guard recently admitted that he didn’t know what foods were allowed and which weren’t. I’m sorry that you were so abuse. Yes, I recently told an USA immigration lawyer friend that my marriage to a Mexicana is a hedge on asylum.
The criminals ARE in charge. The USA just cancelled the Baja (N? S?) Governor’s visa. Many claim that Morena is cartel affiliated though I am not making the charge. The USA is run by an outlaw regime headed by Russian-useful-idiot Trump with 34 felony convictions. All of that is readily provable.
All of those crossings came under a Democrat in office. We are a legacy country with a control freak/war ish attitude.
What a fool you are Robert!
TDS much?
Agree 💯 with you Robert, facts!!
Amen to that! Crossing the border for decades and it really is one of my most disliked things to do. Either direction! When CBX came out I really liked it, no lines and fast but recently it has become too similar to San Ysidro. Personally my biggest complaint is the attitudes and treatment given by the border agents. I perceive it to be like the Gestapo. Thanks for the good read!
Your experience echos my own, in every respect, including making the mistake of not having my global entry card. Thanks for your perspective – always appreciated!
This is helpful information. My mother lives in the US, and at some point, I’m sure I will need to return there. I will fly into Tijuana and cross to the San Diego airport for the rest of the trip. I hope it will be several years before I need to make that trip.
The Cross Border Xpress (CBX) bridge is essentially a fantasy. The border crossings for the vast majority is crossers is not there but, instead, at San Ysidro, Otay, Tecate, and Algodones. On a bad day the crossing time on foot or in an automobile can exceed 3 hours and at Otay is blocked after 10 PM. The Federal regime under all presidents is not purposed to serve the USA citizen.
The Otay crossing is now using the fancy machine as I went through it a week ago. I rarely drive through San Ysidro and there is none at Tecate.
We have decidedly regressed since First Lady Pat Nixon initiated the Friendship Garden. I attended a protest there about 2 years ago. The USA has gone from relatively oblivious to relatively racist/xenophobic, and several cartels have gone sociopathic.
Now let me get political. Trump is of very recent immigrant stock; my mother’s family was big in the Revolution and my children are half Latina (French-Canadian/USA) with registry to a Native American tribe. Gringos are playing a gotcha game in which most hide behind the Colonial American ancestry of others and trump that they have acquired Native North America from the indigenous, mestizo, and Spanish-Americans (Mexicans are a mix of Spanish and indigenous Americans) never mind that the trumping goes back only a few centuries whereas the not-really indigenous roots go back in several known waves from Asia starting over 20,000 years ago and San Diego was inhabited by some type of human 130,000 years ago according to Dr. Tom Deméré of Balboa Park Museum of Man. I strongly agree that we need to control our borders BUT there is a very special relationship between the indigenous and those of Latin America with the USA’s part of America (which has never been a country named “America”. Those who deny that reality engender increasing disrespect and irrelevance.
For 11 years I crossed the border between TJ and SD weekly because I was a professor in both Long Beach and Ensenada. The trip back to SD was always fraught with long waiting times of 3 to 4 hours. The intrusiveness of US border people varied from little to over- bearing. Once I married a local Mexican woman their behavior bordered on meanness and outright hatred. We then moved to the center of Mexico so we never have to cross that border again.
Thank you for sharing your experiences, Travis. As a Tijuana resident for most of the past 15 years, I’ve crossed the U.S.-Mexico border many times, primarily on foot, and your observations resonate with my own.
Walking across at San Ysidro is unpredictable—sometimes it takes 10 minutes, other times up to three hours. If the line is too long, I often wait for another day. Most U.S. border agents (about 90%) are courteous and professional, but the remaining 10% can be frustratingly slow, rude, or hostile, taking extended breaks or processing people at a glacial pace. I’ve seen this firsthand, though I’ve been treated respectfully. It’s disheartening when an agent steps away for a break or to escort someone to secondary, leaving a line stalled for 15 minutes or more.
An alternative is the $10 bus option, which uses a dedicated line and takes about 30 minutes, depending on the schedule—a reliable choice for avoiding long waits. Crossing back into Mexico is usually smoother. Mexico’s visitor lane is efficient, and I’ve always been treated with courtesy. Once, after arriving behind a large Chinese tour group, an official kindly escorted me through ahead of them—an act of kindness I’ve never experienced entering the U.S.
I don’t have a SENTRI card; the year-long process and cost aren’t worth it for my infrequent crossings. Unlike the U.S., Mexico offers a separate lane for citizens, which speeds things up. I wonder why the U.S. doesn’t prioritize its citizens similarly.
Your Berlin Wall comparison struck a chord. I served in the U.S. Special Forces in Berlin during the Cold War, when the wall symbolized division and fear. We’d hear gunshots at night, unsure if they signaled a rabbit, an escapee, or the start of World War III. It’s sobering to reflect on our border wall now, dividing communities like Tijuana and San Diego. Despite the challenges, I hope for a future where such barriers are unimaginable, as you suggest.
Travis thank you for the article and the photos. Very different from what my border crossing is. I live in Puerto Penasco (Rocky Point) Sonora, at the beach. We are a 1 hour drive to the Lukeville, Arizona border, the Mexico side is Sonoyta. The worst part of traveling to Tucson or Phoenix, which many of us do often for shopping and medical appointments (very convenient for Medicare and insurance coverage folks) is the swerving around the potholes on the highway (Mexico side), then having to drive 40km per hour (25 mph) through the town of Sonoyta that have police pointing hair dryers at those who they think they can intimidate, then pull them over and collect mordidas. Just know the rules and drive stupidly slower than others, then we’re fine. The crossing itself on the Mexican side, there had been several vehicles stopped and searched by Mexico agents, for drugs, and illegals (they at times will hide under a car and hold on). Then driving up to the U.S. border agent shack, give them my regular passport, they are always polite, ask where we had been visiting, we say Rocky Point, we live there, going to Tucson for a visit. Sometimes the big machine (looks like a car wash) we need to drive through it when it’s working, it checks for forbidden items (xray) they ask if we’re pregnant, have pacemaker, or one time I had a Dr letter saying I had Nuclear fluid in my system from a procedure, they’re very thorough and can find a needle in a haystack of illegal items, for instance the big thing now is EGGS, $10,000 fine bringing eggs into the U.S.
Handed back our passports, then my girlfriend runs a US mail service, we go into the post office, get customer mail and packages, and do the same on the way back home to Mexico about 3 or 4 days later. Coming back to Mexico, we stop and “declare” voluntarily, show receipts of our purchases, if there are electronics or car parts, they charge an import tax and they take only credit or debit cards, no cash. Get a receipt, then proceed to the crossing part, some people get a red light some get a green, or everyone gets waved to stop, we show the receipt, they look in the back window, then be on our way. At times they ask for a rabies shot record if there’s a dog in the car, what’s funny, the dogs are let through with the rabies booklet, but on the other side, dogs run free, beg for food, probably have rabies, they’re free to cross the border whenever they want, kind of like the birds and fish you mentioned at the TJ wall. Then before we proceed to the 25mph speed limit, we’re met with aggressive windshield washers, they step in front of the vehicles, really stupid, some have been hit. I wave my finger “no” and don’t slow down and continue driving. But now we’re back in Mexico at that time, we’re HOME and happy. It’s pretty low key at our border but the border was closed a year ago when thousands of migrant caravans were crossing, and the US needed to place border agents in other areas to control the mess. We had to go to another border crossing, and was a hassle for a short time. Now it’s only busy on holiday weekends returning to the US. Well, that’s my little window of my little world here.
Naive you are.
Care to explain? 🤔
Last week I crossed to San Ysidro and back on foot. I have Global Entry, it was a breeze and everyone uniformed person was very businesslike and polite if not friendly. Might have taken twenty minutes. Coming south was even faster and easier though I did have to forfeit a banana.
I’m a U.S. citizen and resident in CA, and recently became a legal resident of Mexico. I live primarily in Tijuana and cross the border by foot at San Ysidro regularly. Last September Mexico tightened its entry requirements for tourists and I was forced to obtain residency to stay in Mexico. With my residency card the INM officials smile and wave me into Tijuana. Tourism at this pedestrian crossing is way down now because Mexico has tightened the screws on perpetual tourists. I do not have a Sentri pass but except for occasional long lines I have no problems reentering the U.S. at either San Ysidro/ Tijuana foot crossing.
The detailed walkthrough of the boarder entrances and the description of the place made me feel as if I could almost see it with my own eyes. Thank you Travis! I am a Mexican who has never been in the northern boarder with only a few (not flattering) snapshots in my mind of how the boarder and TJ could look like. It is unfortunate that the first impressions crossing to Mexico portraits such a poor image of a beautiful and rich country in many ways. Your article made me reflect in the thousands of stories that develops from having a dividing wall …….. We are told that we are free as human beings, we want to be free but..“are we really free?”
Short answer: no, we’re not free…
I live in Tepehuaje Nuevo Leion about 2 hours from Reynosa, Matamoros and the Rio Grande Valley.
I have crossed in from the US to Tijuana at CBX a few times and it was great. Best crossing on the border. ON Semana SAnta and Xmas it is jammed, but it still works.
Driving from Nuevo Leon to the US border is a different story. Recently, Mexican national guard troops on the MExican side of the border stop and inspect heavily every car that is headed into the US. This has increased wait times by 50% so now it can take up to 3 or 4 hours to cross from Reynosa to the US. The same is true in all the other crossings. This began with Trumps crackdown. Since the MExicans check every car inside and out, the border guards on teh US side have nothing to do, so all our additional funding for border guards on the US side is wasted. Many of my friends in on the US side of the border are dying to join the border patrol because there is no work and a fat pension.
I usually tell friends to walk across the border at Progresso or downtown reynosa and I pick them up there. They park on the US other side. We don’t have to cross from the US to MExico. It saves a lot of hassle.
Juarez is also a bad logjam with the new review process. I used to fly into Juarez and take a bus from the Juarez airport to the Phoeniz airport for my US flights to the west, but the bus has to go through the regular traffic lanes and it can take a long time.
THe US border guards are not well trained. They are usually polite, but I have had a number of bad experiences. I usually tell them I have to go into the US to have a colonoscopy and that shuts them up.
One time my car was inspected on the US side, and I had to pay for the inspection. I asked, “Don’t my taxes cover the job of inspecting vehicles.” No.
I went to the payment window and the charge was $6.53. When the border guard showed up at the window I handed him a ten dollar bill and he said he didn’t have change. I said, “Why don’t you charge 5 or 10 dollars instead of $6.53? That might make it easier to make change for the service my taxes have already paid for.” He shrugged and said, “Yeah, you are right. That would be better.” I waited for my $4.47 change and drove off. I wondered, “If the border security system in the US at this basic level is so dumb, it must be REALLY dumb at the top.” And so it is.
As far as SENTRI lanes are concerned, in the Rio Grande Valley they are closed most of the time, so they are of very limited value.
QUestion: Why do I only need to show a driver’s license to enter the US by car, but I need a passport to enter by airplane? Isn’t it more probably that I will be smuggling goods in a car than in a suitcase?
But I always have to laugh. Thus has ever been between Mexico and the U.S. totally jodido .. . jajajaja
No problem getting in to Mexico, getting out of Vera Cruz is far more difficult and dangerous.
I Am a US permanent resident with a green card. I spend time on and off in Mexico. About a year ago I crossed the border on the CBX bridge from TJ airport to San Diego. On arrival, the U.S. immigration agent told me “We don’t want the likes of you coming across our border to take advantage of our social services”. I am a German citizen, I pay my taxes in the U.S., and that nasty remark left me speechless!
Shoulda reported to the supervisor! They really are little gestapo wannabes….
When you do global entry at land crossings you also need the card otherwise via air crossings your passport will have it embedded
I enjoyed your column, Travis
I first crossed from USA to Mexico 52 years ago, and while I have traveled widely in Mexico. I prefer the Border Region where the two most widely different countries of the world, sharing a border, scrape, collide and rub against one another.
I recommend Tom Miller’s book “On the Border” in which he details his visits to each boder town from the Gulf of Mexico to the Pacific Ocean. The book is dated now, yet still a good read.
I recently subscribed to MND after securing my Mexican Temporary visa and preparing to move from this troubled nation. And I really appreciate reading about Mexica, the new President, and how well she handles the felon in DC. Because I live within 25 minutes of the border, can see the taxpayer lights on the fence at night, I am fortunate that not only can I go to Naco MX for lunch, but my housekeeper comes the other way, and because many young Amercan teens don’t like to work in my yard, I go the the border, pick up a teenager, and he helps me! As a Navy Vet, it is quite a contrast in border crossings, and I have been subjected to secondary search for no reason in Denver and in Nogales. My car or truck searched, food taken from my RV, and my dogs to secondary too. Most of knowledge citizens here are afraid to go to Mexico, which is fine by me. Keeps the “uglies” out! Thanks for a great paper with special sections for areas within Mexico. It is a bargain and beats reading about the mess here. Let’s hope it clears and cleans up in 4 years if the felon has not done too much irreparable damage to our nation and Constitution.
In the early 60’s my Aunt would take us kids into TJ. She would get her hair done and turn us kids lose in TJ with a few coin in our pockets. Then as a teenager I would come down to party and scuba dive. Crossing back then was so easy. Then 9-11 happened and it changed the entire world thanks to some crazy people. Things started changing here for security to enter the US. Not so much going into TJ. Now more changes are happening on the Mexican side and trying to make it similar in ways coming into the US. Both sides have issues with agents and it goes with the work they do. I have never had any issues going both directions in the years living permanently in Baja legally. I handle the bad cops with respect and never have had an issue. Questions are asked for a reason to see facial and verbal responses that is part of the training received. If you show being nervous and body movement including eyes you will be targeted going both directions and from bad cops. Relax and go with the flow. Just like living down here.
Lucky you have US passports, much more difficult with my UK passport and ETA and my wife’s Mexican passport with valid US visa. That’s why we don’t want to visit maga land any more.