I have been writing about this for a while, explaining that if the Department of Transportation (DOT) head and Obama succeed in opening the border more American jobs will go away, and the safety we NOW have on interstate highways will diminish greatly. The U.S. DOT head – Ray LaHood obviously “assumes” that travels into Mexico are safe – as he always says here at the DOT we are all about safety.
Obviously, Ray LaHood has missed all the memos saying otherwise. Here is part of the warning issued in April by the U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE Bureau of Consular Affairs: The Mexican government makes a considerable effort to protect U.S. citizens and other visitors to major tourist destinations. Resort areas and tourist destinations in Mexico generally do not see the levels of drug-related violence and crime reported in the border region and in areas along major trafficking routes. Nevertheless, crime and violence are serious problems and can occur anywhere. While most victims of violence are Mexican citizens associated with criminal activity, the security situation poses serious risks for U.S. citizens as well.
I highly doubt that many U.S. truck drivers will be ONLY delivering into the resort areas and tourist destinations in Mexico. Mexico is having trouble securing their own country, how can Obama and Ray LaHood guarantee it is safe to let American truck drivers into Mexico? Tourist and vacationers normally don’t carry millions of dollars worth of merchandise with them – truck drivers do.
DOT is all about safety – really? Here is more on the travel warning issued in April: Carjacking and highway robbery are serious problems in many parts of the border region and U.S. citizens have been murdered in such incidents. Most victims who complied with carjackers at these checkpoints have reported that they were not physically harmed. Incidents have occurred during the day and at night, and carjackers have used a variety of techniques, including bumping moving vehicles to force them to stop and running vehicles off the road at high speed. There are some indications that criminals have particularly targeted newer and larger vehicles with U.S. license plates, especially dark-colored SUVs. However, victims’ vehicles have included those with both Mexican and American registration and vary in type from late model SUVs and pick-up trucks to old sedans. If you make frequent visits to border cities, you should vary your route and park in well-lighted, guarded and paid parking lots. Exercise caution when entering or exiting vehicles.
It is obvious that the U.S. DOT is NOT all about safety when they expect truck drivers to haul millions of dollars worth of merchandise into Mexico – when travelers are being killed for their vehicles or what little money they have with them. What about the truck drivers, Ray LaHood? Can you guarantee the safety of American truck drivers in Mexico? What about trucks coming into the U.S. can you yourself guarantee the safety of Americans traveling U.S. Highways?
From the Latin American Herald Tribune:
Two armored trucks, known as “monsters,” outfitted with 2.5-centimeter (one-inch) steel plates, two other partially completed trucks and 23 tractor-trailers awaiting modification were found in the garage. The vehicles, which are used for patrols and smuggling drugs into the United States, have air conditioning, armored diesel engines and steel plates to protect occupants, the 4th Military Region said.
The armored trucks, which can only be taken out with 20 mm anti-tank grenades, are being used in the war between the Gulf cartel and Los Zetas for control of the border region, the army said. Armored trucks have been found in several Mexican states, including Zacatecas, Jalisco and Tamaulipas. A total of 109 armored trucks have been seized from drug traffickers in Tamaulipas.
Sources:
Travel Warning U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE Bureau of Consular Affairs
Army Seizes Armored Vehicles in Northern Mexico
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As you well know, they aren’t opening up the borders to help the U.S. truckers. This is a one-way street. Mexicans truckers reap all the benefits. They’ll come over here and take loads away from U.S. truckers, while most of us won’t EVER go into Mexico in a truck. I know I won’t. I’ll quit first.
Here’s the thing. If civilians are already getting carjacked for the value of a car, what does the administration think is going to happen when a speed-limited truck hauling $200,000 worth of freight crosses their borders?
Todd McCann
https://twitter.com/ToddMcCann
http://abouttruckingjobs.wordpress.com