Mexico and U.S. to open more border crossings

Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebard and U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ken Salazar headed the Strategic Border Infrastructure Forum in the city of Tijuana on Thursday, which seeks to modernize infrastructure and build new ports of entry with the aim of enhancing economic growth for border cities in both countries.

Inversión de cuatro mil millones de dólares de México y Estados Unidos en la frontera común. pic.twitter.com/HdkAubKZke

— Marcelo Ebrard C. (@m_ebrard) May 13, 2022

The meeting discussed 13 border infrastructure projects between Mexico and the United States, including the Mesa de Otay II-Otay Mesa East International Crossing (Tijuana), which will create a new high-tech port of entry to decongest the crossing system in the area and significantly reduce review times.

The Mexican and U.S. governments will invest $4.2 billion as part of the Bicentennial Agreement for Security Cooperation, which includes 14 projects on the Mexican side, among them the completion of the Otay Mesa and Calexico East (Mexicali) border bridges.

Ebrard explained that the priority will be to increase security and make it “more effective on the border against fentanyl, drugs and weapons that come and go on both sides.”

On the U.S. side, new technologies will be put in place to prevent weapons trafficking into Mexico.

For the first time in the U.S., there is talk that "the gun problem is also ours, something that was not accepted before, which is why today we are working together with the Mexican government," added Ambassador Salazar.

The U.S. delegation also provided an update on immigration issues, while Mexican officials reiterated their willingness to work to dismantle organized crime organizations involved in human smuggling and trafficking.

It is estimated that more than 5 million U.S. jobs depend on trade with Mexico. Similarly, more than half of total U.S. exports to Mexico are concentrated in four border states: California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas, reported Infobae. 

Currently, the border between the two countries is experiencing a record migration flow to the United States. According to Customs and Border Protection, more than 1.7 million undocumented immigrants were detected at the border with Mexico in the fiscal year 2021, which ended on September 30.