Fronteras Desk reporter Mónica Ortiz Uribe spent Thursday first at a maquiladora in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, and then accompanying a commercial truck driver through the border crossing into El Paso, Texas. She tweeted about the journey, which took five hours.
Checking out border wait times in the 1st person today. Driving in a commercial truck from #Juárez to #ElPaso. How many hrs will it take?
— Monica Ortiz Uribe (@MOrtizUribe) May 30, 2013
The mannequins you see at U.S. Nike stores are made at this maquila in #Juárez, México. twitter.com/MOrtizUribe/st…
— Monica Ortiz Uribe (@MOrtizUribe) May 30, 2013
Just after 2 pm Juárez time my truck driver Alejandro entered Mexican customs w/ a load of mannequins. Lets see how long it takes to cross.
— Monica Ortiz Uribe (@MOrtizUribe) May 30, 2013
2:33 Juárez time. Trucker green lighted thru Mexican customs. Now held up by U.S.customs for X ray & dock check. This could be awhile...
— Monica Ortiz Uribe (@MOrtizUribe) May 30, 2013
My trucker: blue cab, far back, center waiting his turn on X-ray machine. twitter.com/MOrtizUribe/st…
— Monica Ortiz Uribe (@MOrtizUribe) May 30, 2013
While we wait, here's a photo of Alejandro the truck driver before departing for our cross border journey twitter.com/MOrtizUribe/st…
— Monica Ortiz Uribe (@MOrtizUribe) May 30, 2013
1 hr later, still waiting...
— Monica Ortiz Uribe (@MOrtizUribe) May 30, 2013
Finally! Alejandro the mannequin trucker is in the Xray machine. Wonder of all those plastic body parts will raise suspicion...
— Monica Ortiz Uribe (@MOrtizUribe) May 30, 2013
Yea! Trucker is outta the X ray inspection. Almost there! twitter.com/MOrtizUribe/st…
— Monica Ortiz Uribe (@MOrtizUribe) May 30, 2013
Nevermind. 2 hrs, still waiting...
— Monica Ortiz Uribe (@MOrtizUribe) May 30, 2013
He made it! Now on our way to warehouse. Stuck in traffic now. There's an accident! twitter.com/MOrtizUribe/st…
— Monica Ortiz Uribe (@MOrtizUribe) May 30, 2013
5 hrs later finally unloading at the warehouse in El Paso. That's a wrap folks. #borderlife twitter.com/MOrtizUribe/st…
— Monica Ortiz Uribe (@MOrtizUribe) May 30, 2013
