Thread: 55 Mexican trucks have U.S. clearance

Dec. 7, 2007, 10:38PM
55 Mexican trucks have U.S. clearance


By MEENA THIRUVENGADAM
San Antonio Express-news

Despite congressional action to pull funding for the program under which they are operating, at least 55 Mexican trucks have received approval to make deliveries anywhere within the U.S., according to the latest data from the U.S. Department of Transportation.

An undisclosed number of trucks from another 37 Mexican carriers also have been authorized to participate in the program pending the filing of proof of insurance. Forty-one trucks from four U.S. carriers, which have shown less interest in the program than their Mexican counterparts, have gained similar access into Mexico.

The trucks are participants in a cross-border trucking program aimed at satisfying one of the last outstanding components of the North American Free Trade Agreement. Under the agreement, Mexican, Canadian and U.S. commercial trucks were to gain access to one another's roads within a few years of the signing of NAFTA. But court cases, union opposition and politics have delayed the border's opening.

The program, announced in February, aims to test the safety and security of allowing cross-border trucking. Trucks began crossing in September.

Fernando Páez, owner of the first two Mexican rigs to participate in the DOT program, said he has been getting calls from people interested in shipping goods directly to the U.S. from Mexico. But his company, Transportes Olympic, cannot plan for the future given the program's uncertainty, he said.

"We hope it goes forward, but there are still some issues that need to be decided," he said.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/bus ... 62114.html

37 carriers only have 55 trucks? and probably in first-class shape I'll bet.

I don't blame US truckers for not going there. Who in their right mind would take a chance of getting robbed, hijacked, murdered by drug cartels?

Added to Home PAge
http://www.alipac.us/article2776.html

Originally Posted by had_enuf

37 carriers only have 55 trucks? and probably in first-class shape I'll bet.

Yea, and you can bet that the drivers are intoxicated and without insurance while the trucks they drive spew polution all over the place. Law enforcement has probably been told to lay off of them. Wouldn't surprise me.

I may be wrong here, but is this specific program the FAST program? If so then out of the 55 trucks one has already been caught with 2,300 pounds of marijuana.

http://www.alipac.us/ftopict-92591.html

Ton of pot found in truck carrying melons across the border
Arizona Daily Star
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 12.01.2007
A man who attempted to hide more than 2,300 pounds of marijuana among pallets of honeydew melons was arrested Thursday at the Nogales port of entry.
The discovery was made around noon when a tractor trailer driven by a 58-year-old man from Nogales, Sonora, was selected for further inspection at the port, according to a news release from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
CBP officers decided to use the X-ray system on the semi and noticed anomalies in the images, so the trailer was opened and unloaded, the release said. During the unloading, 300 packages of marijuana were discovered.
The driver, who was a participant in the Free and Secure Trade program, was arrested, the release said. The FAST program is designed to give registered travelers bringing imports into the country expedited processing.
The driver’s membership was revoked and the marijuana and the tractor trailer were seized, according to the news release.

Thanks, Firemaneric. That information could be very useful. Perhaps we should all send a copy of the story to Lou Dobbs.

http://www.cnn.com/feedback/forms/form5.html?9

The more request Lou gets on this, the more likely he is to air a segment on it.

We need to send this article to Congress and rub it right in their faces.

Originally Posted by MW

Thanks, Firemaneric. That information could be very useful. Perhaps we should all send a copy of the story to Lou Dobbs.

http://www.cnn.com/feedback/forms/form5.html?9

The more request Lou gets on this, the more likely he is to air a segment on it.

I'm with you 100%. Sent my request this a.m. Thanks for the link.

Great, just what this country needs. 55 eighteen wheelers carrying not only illegal drugs, they will also be bringing in illegal aliens. We won't need a fence now will we? This is probably being done by design to make a fence obsolete. They can now come to the U.S. and never have to cross the border to get here. They will be coming in first class via trucks. just imagine how many people can be hidden in one of those things. who knows, maybe they are the intended cargo anyway.

Originally Posted by Firemaneric

The driver, who was a participant in the Free and Secure Trade program, was arrested, the release said. The FAST program is designed to give registered travelers bringing imports into the country expedited processing.
The driver’s membership was revoked and the marijuana and the tractor trailer were seized, according to the news release.

A ton of mj and the driver was released. How sad is this?