McAllen, Texas — U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the General Services Administration (GSA), and the Anzalduas International Bridge Board (AIBB) began construction this week on a donated project that will improve commercial infrastructure at the Anzalduas Land Port of Entry (LPOE).
Under CBP’s Donations Acceptance Program (DAP), the AIBB will help fund the construction of a full commercial inspection and processing facility. The improvement will equip the Anzalduas LPOE with the necessary infrastructure improvements and additions that will support the processing of fully laden southbound and northbound commercial vehicles.
The new southbound facilities will be located on the west side of the LPOE, the improvements include upgrading the empty commercial inspection area. In addition, the improvements will also include access roads, primary outbound inspection booth, eight commercial secondary inspection bays, exit and control booth, as well as an export/cargo processing office.
The new northbound facilities will be located on the east side of the LPOE and will include Unified Cargo Processing technology which will help Mexican customs and U.S. CBP officers in inspecting incoming cargo and expedite its clearance. The enhancements and updates will also include the addition of pre-primary non-intrusive inspection technology, 30 secondary inspection bays, cargo processing and administrative offices, an operations command center, a Free and Secure Trade (FAST) lane dedicated for the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT), HAZMAT facility, U.S. Department of Transportation inspection facility, as well as ancillary structures and other improvements that will enhance operations.
“With the continued increase of imports from Mexico, having these additional spaces and improvements will have a significant positive impact on our ability to expedite the processing time and get shipments on their way into U.S. commerce,” said Port Director Carlos Rodriguez, Port of Hidalgo/Pharr/Anzalduas.
“The addition of the lanes and infrastructure improvements in this project will help accommodate the rapidly growing economy in the City of McAllen; it will also reinvigorate the economic vitality of the City of McAllen by creating new international trade opportunities and incentivize new local jobs,” said Pete Flores, Executive Assistant Commissioner for the Office of Field Operations. “Many infrastructures and technological improvements at Ports of Entry are made possible by the Donations Acceptance Program.”
CBP personnel at the Anzalduas LPOE play a critical role in ensuring legitimate trade and travel, in and out of US and Mexico. The Anzalduas bridge sees, on any given day, between 2,500 to 5,000 commercial vehicles. In addition to the high commercial traffic, the Anzalduas LPOE is strategically positioned on the border due to its proximity to over 250 manufacturing facilities.
“The City of McAllen and the Anzalduas International Bridge Board remains committed to working with our federal partners to identify and implement innovative methods to expedite traffic and trade at our international port of entry, making border crossings and inspections function more effectively while helping our trade partners process and cross their goods more efficiently,” said City of McAllen Mayor and Anzalduas International Bridge Board Chairman Javier Villalobos, J.D. “We are proud to partner with CBP on this and other Donations Acceptance Program projects that provide creative solutions to meet and address specific federal needs at the local level and keep international trade and commerce flowing swiftly and smoothly.”
Pursuant to 6 U.S.C. § 301a, and more generally, the Homeland Security Act of 2002, 6 U.S.C. §§ 112 et seq., as amended, CBP and GSA are authorized to accept donations of real property, personal property (including monetary donations) and non-personal services from private sector and government entities. Accepted donations may be used for port of entry construction, alterations, operations, and maintenance activities.
“The General Services Administration delivers value and savings in real estate, acquisition, technology, and other mission-support services across Government,” said GSA Regional Administrator Jason L. Shelton. “The use of the Donations Acceptance Program, and the associated partnerships it allows, help us to provide 21st century space for federal agencies so they can deliver their mission safely and effectively. This project is an excellent example of how the program supports our customers, like CBP, local communities and the country as a whole.”
Public-private partnerships are a key component of CBP’s Resource Optimization Strategy and allow CBP to provide new or expanded services and infrastructure at domestic ports of entry. For more information, visit www.cbp.gov/DAP.