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Laredo Bridge II Crossing in nationalized vehicle


jrod

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Just an FYI to those crossing at Laredo: we've crossed twice in the last month with our (formerly SD-plated) nationalized vehicle and have been "selected" for a secondary inspection for the second time. According to the CPB officer, because we are US-passport holders driving a Mexican-plated car, the US side is pulling cars over and asking for documentation. We were asked for our ORIGINAL tarjeta de circulación, our import papers, and title, all of which we had, and which they reviewed. They also (FIRST TIME EVER) asked for the paperwork on our dogs (although they never opened the folder we gave them. We had all our papers in order HOWEVER a secondary inspection costs you at least an additional half hour at the border: you must empty your vehicle of all belongings (even papers in your glove box), they take your car away to swab it and do a gamma x-ray on it, then they drive your car back to a spot not-all-that-near where your belongings are on the metal counter and you have to schlep and repack while holding 2 dogs on leashes.

We had no problems, agents are nice enough, but I didn't even ask what the next step would have been had we not had our paperwork. The agent DID recommend that we have our car nationalization papers in-hand and tell the agent, when we hand our passports over, that we are driving a US-built vehicle nationalized into Mexico. He said that this might help speed up the process...perhaps...maybe.

So, if traveling to TX this holiday season, it might be wise to be sure to have your docs. Again, we had no problems because we produced originals of all they requested, but it did add additional time to the long day of travel from Lakeside to Laredo.

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You were pulled over going northbound and on the U.S. side?



I keep seeing these reports of people being hassled at Laredo by one side or the other. Maybe this has something to do with the fact that all the expats cross there. Maybe using other crossings where this is not the case would save problems.



We cross at Pharr. The time to San Antonio is the same, the tolls are a lot less and the inspections are really cursory. Last time I crossed on Sunday morning driving by myself (wife remained north after knee operation) with a car load of stuff I was barely given a glance at the border on either side and the km 19 checkpoint in Mexico wasn't even manned.



It has been like this for the nearly 7 years we've been driving back and forth twice per year. They are red lighting more but not really checking things very closely when red lighted.



Also, you don't run the risk of driving through any border town. McAllen is bypassed by a short cuota that takes you directly non stop to the Pharr bridge. We can drive to the border in one day, stay in any one of many inexpensive lodgings on the U.S side, and easily drive to DFW on the following day.

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My questions are... when you imported your car into Mexico, did you also EXPORT it from the US? If so, did your retained US title have EXPORTED written on it? If it was NOT exported, did the CBP officials, when you were stopped in secondary, ask/say anything about this?

Thanks.

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Will try to answer all the questions:

Maincoons: On the US side, Laredo Júarez-Lincoln, Bridge II we were asked by the CBP agent at the booth to follow him, in our vehicle, to the Secondary Checkpoint (just to the left of the exit topes). Both times, they asked for and looked at our docs and had no issue with them. Also, we've used Bridge II because it is closer to the dog-friendly La Quinta Bob Bullock/Airport (highly recommend) and because my Permanente is in process and I had the Permiso de salida to be stamped, and which Checkpoint Charlie at K26 wouldn't do for me, saying I needed to do it at the bridge, and in the dark I was concerned about missing the building and having to backtrack. Next trip we will indeed try Columbia and see if it saves time, even with backtracking a bit to the hotel.

Rick: Our car was nationalized in early April 2014, before all this export from the US was reported as an issue. I have no US stamp or paperwork indicating proper export. When the issue arose I, as did some others on this board, tried (twice) to phone CPB in Laredo, using the phone number on their website, and reached a recording. I emailed, received a return auto response indicating I'd be contacted within 3 weeks...still waiting. The CPB agent said the secondary check is to confirm whether the vehicle is US-built or manufactured in Mexico. I didn't ask why, but don't know why that would be an issue. I was never asked to show proof of insurance (which, I realize, is not the responsibility of CPB, but would seem a more logical question). And, as I stated in the original post, we had no issue with the checks themselves, but was posting to let others know of our experiences lately and the request for originals--for the car and the mutts.

Barbara/Fred: Don't love the idea of traveling with the originals either, but was glad I had them.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I have crossed 4 times in the last 2 years in Jalisco plated vehicles at Laredo bridge II. These vehicles were not mine. Only thing I had was registration and insurance papers, plus a notarized letter authorizing the use of the vehicle. Never once was I asked for anything or why I was driving a Jalisco plated vehicle. All were loaded full of personal items and only once was I inspected because there was baby formula, which I explained was for a picky baby temporarily in the USA and the inspection was over in 1 minute..

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