Borderlands Mexico: Thousands of Mexican truckers lose US visas over cabotage violations

Borderlands Mexico is a weekly rundown of developments in the world of United States-Mexico cross-border trucking and trade. This week in Borderlands Mexico: Thousands of Mexican truckers lose US visas over cabotage violations; US, Mexico complete first round of USMCA review talks; and RealCold expands into pharmaceutical logistics with SCL Cold Chain acquisition.

More than 3,000 Mexican truck drivers have lost their authorization to enter the U.S. in recent months as federal authorities intensify enforcement of cabotage and visa regulations.

Pedro Lozano Martínez, president of the Nuevo Laredo Freight Carriers Association and a delegate of Mexico’s National Chamber of Freight Transportation (CANACAR), said approximately 3,200 drivers across the border region have had their visas revoked.

The cancellations have affected carriers operating through major commercial gateways, Lozano said.

“It has been a serious issue in recent weeks,” Lozano told Agencia Rn Noticias . “CANACAR data indicates around 3,200 drivers have been affected along the entire border region.”

According to Lozano, the visa revocations stem from increased coordination between the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), allowing authorities to identify drivers previously flagged for potential cabotage violations.

Cabotage occurs when a foreign carrier transports freight between two domestic points inside the U.S. without authorization.

“What happened is that the DOT and CBP systems merged, and all operators who had any warnings about possible cabotage were automatically identified,” Lozano said. “CBP is now revoking their visas through the system.”