Mexican trucks approved for long-haul trips in U.S.
'We aim to expose Bush plan to sneak this past the public'

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Posted: September 7, 2007
5:30 p.m. Eastern


By Jerome R. Corsi
© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com
Federal officials have confirmed that the first Mexican truckers have been given authorization to run their long-haul rigs throughout the United States under the Department of Transportation's Mexican trucking demonstration project.

The word came during a late-night surprise teleconference held by John Hill, the administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. He told selected reporters that Transportes Olympic of Nuevo Leon was the first company to be given the authorization.

"This program was literally announced under the cover of darkness," James P. Hoffa said in a Teamsters press release issued by his office today. "I have no doubt the Bush administration knows how angry the American people are about it."

Hoffa continued, "I cannot understand why George Bush is jeopardizing the safety and security of the American people."

"The Teamsters will do everything in our power to put a stake through the heart of this lawless program," Hoffa added. "We will pursue our lawsuit all the way to the Supreme Court if necessary, and we will demand that our politicians act to represent the people who elected them."

Todd Spencer, executive vice president of the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, also said the court battle will continue. He provided WND with a copy of a petition for review motion filed this morning in the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia.

The complaint alleges that the Department of Transportation failed to follow the strict procedures laid down by Congress for the conduct of "pilot tests."

"We aim to stop the Mexican trucks at the border," Spencer told WND, "and to expose the Bush administration's determination to sneak this program past the American public in the middle of the night."

Only this morning did the office of the DOT inspector general release a report transmitted to Congress yesterday, entitled "FMCSA Compliance with Mexican Motor Carrier Cross-Border Safety Requirements."

Also this morning, Mary Peters, Secretary of Transportation, released a letter dated yesterday informing Vice President Cheney that the inspector general's report had been transmitted to Congress.

With these communications, DOT took the position that the department had complied fully with the requirements Congress had demanded before the Mexican trucks were allowed to roll.

As WND previously reported, in 2002 Congress blocked the Mexican truck demonstration project by inserting into the FY 20002 DOT appropriations bill a prohibition against starting the Mexican truck demonstration project until 22 safety requirements specified by Congress had been met by the FMCSA.

The final step required in the FY 2002 DOT appropriations bill was the inspector general's report delivered to Congress yesterday, only hours before the Hill announced the first Mexican trucking company that the agency had approved to cross the border.

U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., said yesterday he'd just learned the program was being launched.

"The Bush administration has indicated to me that tomorrow (Friday) they will open the U.S. border to 100 Mexican-domiciled trucking companies," DeFazio said. "This is a sad day for America."

"This administration is hell-bent on opening our borders,â€