http://www.kvia.com/Global/story.asp?S=5351754

08.31.06
Santa Teresa port opens first express lane in NM

Aug 31, 2006 01:49 PM

SANTA TERESA, N.M. (AP) - U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials on Thursday opened the first cargo lane in New Mexico equipped to use the Free and Secure Trade (FAST) program, which allows low-risk shipments from Mexico to quickly clear ports of entry.

One of the two cargo lanes at the Santa Teresa port was designated for the FAST program, which allows certified trucks and shipments from Mexico to be screened more efficiently and travel into the United States faster.

Under the bilaterial program, the supply chain must be declared secure before certification is issued.

"Several safeguards are in place to ensure the materials are secure. We get a great level of assurance that there is a very low-risk shipment, that the potential for terrorism or other threats is minimal," agency spokesman Roger Maier said.

The Santa Teresa port of entry will offer the third FAST lane in the El Paso, Texas, area. Currently there are two operational lanes in the El Paso area, one each at the Bridge of the Americas and the Ysleta cargo facilities.

Maier said 15 percent to 20 percent of all commercial trucks passing through the El Paso area use the existing lanes, so the Santa Teresa port offers an alternative. Last year, the Santa Teresa port handled 33,166 commercial trucks from Mexico.

In addition to countering terrorism, officials said the program is expected to allow U.S. agents to focus greater efforts on areas such as drug interdiction. "We know more about what's coming, so we can use our resources to focus on the things that maybe we don't know about," Maier said.

Besides security measures in the supply chain, the program relies on advanced technology and industry partnerships that include manufacturers, trucking carriers and border authorities from both countries. A goal also is to reduce the paperwork needed to cross the border.

(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

AP-NY-08-31-06 1635EDT