Eagle Pass Crossing

I have a friend planning to cross at Eagle Pass in about 2 weeks. Does anyone have any information of the ease of crossing there? He will have personal items and a lightly loaded trailer? Should he hire a broker? Any info you can share would be most appreciated as I have never used that crossing.

I will disclaim ever having crossed in that portion of West Texas but I follow the local news well enough to know that Eagle Pass & the Piedras Negras portion or Mexico isn't a crossing that I would personally choose. Piedras Negras is problematic for cartel control and there are plenty of open highways for them to put forth their shenanigans. While there are certainly no guarantees in any section of the border, I don't think I could recommend this route based upon the reports that I have read. I would advise them taking a more popular route through Laredo.

CheenaGringo wrote:I will disclaim ever having crossed in that portion of West Texas but I follow the local news well enough to know that Eagle Pass & the Piedras Negras portion or Mexico isn't a crossing that I would personally choose. Piedras Negras is problematic for cartel control and there are plenty of open highways for them to put forth their shenanigans. While there are certainly no guarantees in any section of the border, I don't think I could recommend this route based upon the reports that I have read. I would advise them taking a more popular route through Laredo.

I could not agree more. We have taken that route several times. There are many many miles of nothing, not even a service station. After you leave Saltillo the only major town is Monclova, which one would do well to avoid if you want to make good time.

The crossing itself isn't bad, however about 150 miles of total nothing other than some intensely unattractive cacti, is not what I would call safe.

In answer to your other question: You need a customs broker only if the total value of your non-personal items exceeds US$3,000.

Here is a news article published yesterday about that particular area:
http://www.borderlandbeat.com/2011/10/shootout-in-piedras-negras.html

And another:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44921761/ns/world_news-americas/#.TpwnLlsfAqE