We make a trip to the Brownsville area in South Texas about twice a year and we usually try to save money on pharmaceutical medication and doctor visits by making a quick trip across the bridge at Neuvo Pregresso Mexico. It takes no more than 30 minutes and has always been pretty safe.

I just got back today from Mexico and saw some big changes. First off there were less American tourists than I had ever seen. Second, the Mexican Federal Army was all over the border bridge. There must have been 50 solders all carrying Heckler & Koch G3 7.62 mm automatic assault rifles. They searched every car that came into Mexico. At the first corner they had a 5 foot wall built in the middle of the 4 lane road with a soldier armed with a Browning .50 Caliber machine gun aimed straight ahead, not in the air. Kind of scary. Fingers on the triggers. On the left side of the road was another 5 foot wall and a soldier with a FN MAG Belgian 7.62 mm heavy machine gun. Again, aimed straight ahead and finger on the trigger.

Certainly nothing like this on our side of the border. Maybe there should be.