Mexican Authorities seize Texas cars at border
Woman’s Vehicle Seized by Mexican Authorities
Posted: Aug 09, 2016 4:34 PM PDT
Updated: Aug 09, 2016 4:34 PM PDT
BROWNSVILLE – A Brownsville woman’s trip to Mexico left her without a vehicle and out $2,000. She said the Mexican authorities seized her SUV because her registration sticker was expired.
It was a quick trip to see family in Matamoros for Crystal Aguirre. However, when the unexpected happened, she said she’s thinking about not going back.
Her Texas inspection sticker was expired when she crossed.
She said Mexican authorities told her she could get her car back if she got her sticker up to current and paid fines.
The problem she ran into were the stipulations for the new sticker. “It has to be effective before the day that you cross. If you can’t do that, there’s no way you can get (the vehicle) back,” Aguirre said.
She reached out to the community on social media asking people what she should do. Other people told her their personal stories with the same issue.
“Everyone told me like, ‘I mean reach out to a lawyer because it’s going to be really hard,’ ‘You’re not going to get it back.’ Everyone I reached out to, they told me it’s going to be impossible,” she said.
Aguirre lawyered up and spent $2,000 to get her vehicle back. She said a lawyer out of Mexico helped her.
CHANNEL 5 NEWS contacted Mexico’s Tax Administration Service office in Mexico City. We spoke to a public relations officer and were told someone was going to call us back.
A representative for the Mexican Consulate in Brownsville said laws are in place in Mexico. A person must have current insurance when they cross over and up to date registration stickers. Otherwise, they’ll get stopped at the bridge and their car could get impounded.
“I reached out to people that it happened to, the same thing, and it’s very hard for them, they don’t have the funds to get that money,” Aguirre said.
She said she doesn’t want others to have the same experience.
The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles in Austin is urging drivers to have proper documentation before taking their car across the border.
http://www.krgv.com/story/32723080/w...an-authorities
