Monday, May 14, 2012

49 more reasons not to open the border to Mexican trucks


The Mexican drug wars are getting worse, making it even less likely that U.S. truckers will haul freight south of the border.

The Associated Press reports:

Forty-nine bodies with their heads, hands and feet hacked off were found Sunday dumped on a northern Mexico highway leading to the Texas border in what appeared to be the latest carnage in an escalating war between Mexico's two dominant drug cartels. 
Local and federal authorities discovered the bodies before dawn scattered in a pool of blood at the entrance to the town of San Juan, on a highway leading from the metropolis of Monterrey to the border city of Reynosa. A white stone arch welcoming visitors was spray-painted with black letters: "100% Zeta."
Trade deals are supposed to be two-way streets. The U.S. is supposed to give Mexican truckers access to our highways, Mexico is supposed to give U.S. truckers access to its highways.

But if the Mexican government can't guarantee the safety of U.S. citizens, then Mexico isn't giving the U.S. equal access to its highways. Mexico isn't living up to its part of the deal.

The good news is that only a handful of Mexican carriers are allowed to travel beyond the border zone as part of the second cross-border trucking pilot program.  And even fewer trucks are actually using our highways.

The Teamsters are in court to end the pilot program. Here's the latest press account of where the case stands. We'll keep you posted.