DEL RIO, Texas—Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is receiving pressure from the White House and Mexico to end his safety inspections on commercial vehicles entering the United States from Mexico.
The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) started conducting “enhanced commercial vehicle safety inspections” on vehicles traveling from Mexico on April 6, at Abbott’s behest.
Texas DPS officers have conducted inspections at seven ports of entry—Brownsville, Los Indios, Pharr, Laredo, Eagle Pass, Del Rio, and El Paso.
Abbott’s office didn’t provide a response to the White House statement by press time.
Government officials in Mexico are talking with the U.S. Embassy in Mexico, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and Abbott’s office, the statement said.
“As an inevitable consequence of this provision, Mexican and U.S. traders are losing competitiveness and considerable income.”
![The line of trucks waiting to get into the United States from Mexico at the Laredo bridge in Texas on April 12, 2022. (Screenshot of bridge cam)](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimg.theepochtimes.com%2Fassets%2Fuploads%2F2022%2F04%2F12%2FLaredo-bridge-4-looking-to-Mexico-2022-04-12-at-1.44.33-PM-600x332.png&w=1200&q=75)
Abbott directed DPS to start conducting the inspections on April 6 in a letter to the agency’s Director Col. Steven McCraw.
As of April 12, DPS had inspected 4,133 commercial vehicles, of which 973 were placed out of service for “serious safety violations to include defective brakes, defective tires, and defective lighting,” according to Lt. Christopher Olivarez, DPS spokesman for south Texas.
“Additionally, 84 commercial vehicle drivers were placed out of service. The total number of violations detected thus far is 13,651.”
The president and CEO of the Texas Trucking Association John Esparza said his phone has been ringing off the hook since April 7.
“We don’t disagree with what the governor is doing. What we’re trying to do is help him reach the goals with our partners over at the Department of Public Safety without impeding commerce. And that can be a challenge,” Esparza said.
Esparza said he’s been in touch with the governor’s office since the inspections started and is seeking further clarification on the ultimate goal.