World Trade Bridge at Laredo closed

U.S. Customs and Border Protection has temporarily closed border-crossing operations at the World Trade Bridge at Laredo, Texas, due to severe flooding and power outages from a severe storm that struck the area Sunday.

   U.S. Customs and Border Protection has temporarily closed border-crossing operations at the World Trade Bridge in Laredo, Texas, due to severe flooding and power outages from a severe storm that struck the area Sunday.
   “Images from the area show tractor trailers flipped on their sides and cosmetic damage to bridge facilities. Power was knocked out in several Mexican border cities,” the Associated Press reported.
   Truck traffic is being rerouted to Laredo’s Colombia Solidarity International Bridge.
   CBP and Mexican Customs said they will work together to prioritize the release of FAST, perishable and medical shipments as soon as truck lanes become available at the World Trade Bridge. The bridge processes more than 12,000 trucks per day.
   Customs brokers and freight forwarders in Laredo and Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, are also scrambling to return to operations.
   “All of our employees are safe; however, some have damage to their homes,” Scarbrough International said in a statement. “We ask our clients and vendors to avoid calling our Laredo office at this time as phone service is a challenge and we want to prioritize calls. However, all our Laredo numbers are currently being forwarded to our headquarters in Kansas City where you will be taken care of.”