Commissioners receive update on backlog of cars set for exportation at Tornillo POE

County leaders have tried many ways to deal with the recent problems of a backlog of cars waiting to be exported into Mexico from the U.S. side of the Tornillo Port of Entry.

While the situation isn’t as hazardous as it was when it first started weeks ago, it doesn’t look like it will be resolved anytime soon.

“We’re still seeing vehicles exported into Mexico, fluctuating between 100 to 200 vehicles per day trying to be exported,” said Lt. Ryan Urrutia with the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office.

Urrutia has been at the forefront of dealing with the backup since it started. Measures like no parking signs and greater enforcement have had an effect, but most mornings the area is still filled with cars. More checkpoints and stops over the past three weeks have yielded some results, and a lot of citations.

“91 no insurance citations. 72 no drivers license citations, and 70 unregistered vehicle citations,” Urrutia said. “We have stepped up – increased our enforcement efforts to keep the area clean – clear for all motorists to use. So we are issuing no parking citations, towing vehicles, and we are doing stationary vehicle checks.”

You might wonder how effective a fine is to someone leaving the country.

“The citation is the last resort,” Urrutia said. “They are paying the citations because they do business, they use all of our ports of entry, so they don’t want to get stopped for a warrant.”

There is a little bit of hope things might improve in the area. Mexican authorities are reportedly allowing more vehicles to be imported into their country, a move many hope will reduce the backlog on the U.S. side of the border.