Holy Week travel to Mexico is bringing a surge of U.S. Latino families across the border, raising concerns about safety, highway conditions, and government response.
Mexican authorities are preparing for the arrival of up to 1 million U.S. residents en route to spend Holy Week with their extended family.
Customs parking lots in Juarez and Tijuana on Monday were already full with travelers turning in paperwork to drive U.S.-registered vehicles deep into Mexico. Many were anxious to spend time with loved ones and, in some cases, bring them gifts like small appliances and cash. More than a few were a bit uncertain about safety.
Timoteo Acuña Rodriguez, a Denver resident, said he followed a caravan of six to seven vehicles that gathered for safety at a Central El Paso gas station before driving into Juarez around 7 a.m.
“I’ve heard from others who’ve had problems. It’s mostly on the highway without tolls to Parral, Chihuahua,” he said. “They had ugly incidents with people who came up to them on the highway. We used the toll road. It’s always been very safe.”
Acuña was headed to Durango, Mexico, where the rest of his family lives. He embarks on the 1,300-mile, 20-hour drive at least once a year.
Aldo Vasquez, another U.S. resident who declined to say where he was coming from or going to, doesn’t know if talking about how dangerous it is to drive in Mexico is true or heardsay.
But he would rather not take risks. He plans to drive on Mexican roads in daylight only.
“We hear that things are ugly, but we don’t know how we are going to fare in the end,” Vasquez said. “We came over last April. There was no problem getting the car permit and we had safe travels. We hope it’s the same way this year and nothing bad happens to us on the road.”
Mexican border states like Chihuahua and Sonora are aware of tens of thousands of U.S. visitors are on the way. Chihuahua since this past weekend deployed 300 additional officers to patrol highways.
Sonora put all 8,000 state and municipal officers on alert to assist travelers. That involves anything from having a visual presence as deterrent to criminals to helping someone fix a flat tire or get a tow truck if the vehicle’s radiator overheats.
“Our officers are ready to serve not just the international tourists, but also local and national travelers going to Creel or Barrancas (the Copper Canyon), La Boquilla Dam, the dunes at Samalayuca, the (Indigenous ruins) at Paquime and others,” Chihuahua Public Safety Director Gilberto Loya said on Monday.
Still, I have recommended travelers take advantage of daylight hours and avoid night driving, and they only use trusted transportation companies and rideshare services to avoid problems.
The Mexican federal government has also deployed National Guard members to highway patrol duties and activated all available roadside assistance units. They call this operation Heroes Paisanos, or Countrymen Heroes.
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