Thread: corruption investigation into the Mexican president's stepso

Probe May Delay Customs Facility in Mo.
By GARANCE BURKE , 01.29.2006, 05:12 PM

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A corruption investigation into the Mexican president's stepsons could slow plans to open a high-tech customs facility that would clear trucks for export to Mexico in the heart of the Midwest.

The Mexican customs facility, which U.S. and Mexican officials are planning to open in Kansas City in May, would be the first customs house run by a foreign country inside the United States.

Customs agents from both countries would work to inspect and seal big rigs full of export goods, and shoot the trucks back out onto the North American Free Trade Agreement corridor, where up to 600 trucks could roll daily through the border without delay.

But in the wake of a corruption probe involving the sons of Mexico's first lady, a Mexican congressional commission is now considering requesting a formal briefing on the Kansas City project and the national customs system. A separate congressional investigation, launched last year, is examining whether the first lady's sons were involved in importing contraband goods from China.

Trade analysts say the proposed inquiry, sponsored by opponents to Mexican President Vicente Fox, better reflects election-year politics than real concerns over trade between the neighboring nations. Mexico holds presidential elections July 2.

"This kind of proposal is exactly what the border needs to become less congested. It's great news," said Rafael Fernandez de Castro, an expert on U.S.-Mexico relations at the Autonomous Technological Institute of Mexico in Mexico City. "But the new allegations could harm bilateral relations, and Mexicans in particular."

The $3.1 million facility is designed to attract business away from Long Beach, Calif., and New Orleans, where bottlenecks are causing companies to explore shipping freight through Mexico rather than through ports.

This week, the Mexican government announced it had appointed a director for the customs office and U.S. officials confirmed negotiations were ongoing.

"We're getting closer and closer to the final stage," said Chris Gutierrez, president of Kansas City SmartPort Inc., a nonprofit that will build the facility.

But lawmakers from the Institutional Revolutionary Party say the Mexican customs agency overstepped its authority in negotiating the project with the U.S. The proposed inquiry, which will likely be voted on next week, links the Kansas City project to a larger corruption investigation involving first lady Marta Sahagun's eldest son.

"There are indications that corruption could reach the customs terminal in Kansas City," said Congresswoman Sofia Castro Rios, who represents the former ruling party, the PRI. "We want to know what the project's goals are and who, exactly, will be involved in this customs operation."

The first lady and her family have denied any wrongdoing and say the probes are politically motivated. Sahagun's three sons are from a previous marriage; she and President Fox were married in 2001 and have no children together.

On the American side, interest in the Kansas City project has been building since last year, when U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Robert C. Bonner called the proposal "bold and imaginative."

Once the agreement is completed, Kansas City would essentially function like a Mexican port.

Gutierrez said by 2015, customs agents could process as many as 600 trucks per day, packed full of cars and electronics from across the country.

http://www.forbes.com/home/feeds/ap/200 ... 84876.html

Gutierrez said by 2015, customs agents could process as many as 600 trucks per day, packed full of cars and electronics from across the country.

Trucks will be bringing goods in with fewer going out.

Originally Posted by had_enuf

Gutierrez said by 2015, customs agents could process as many as 600 trucks per day, packed full of cars and electronics from across the country.

Trucks will be bringing goods in with fewer going out.

But the thought of what this is. Is that trucks coming in, will not be checked until. They have reached the Heartland. They will just be bypassing border security. To reach this place. A special lane to come into the Country. Then no telling what will be brought in.