see also: in July 2008:   CBP Discovers 2.7 Tons of Marijuana on Cargo Box Truck   Holiday Travel Reminder for Northwest Border Crossers   Current, Former CBP Employees Assist in Arrest of Purse Snatchers   CBP Officers Arrest Man Wanted for Failure to Register as Sex Offender   California SENTRI Participant in Hot Water, CBP Finds Dope in Vehicle   CBP Officers Arrest Man Wanted for Aggravated Sexual Assault on Minor   CBP Revokes Trusted Traveler Privileges After Finding Prohibited Items During Inspection ...more on cbp.gov:   CBP News Releases   Press Officers

contacts for this news release

El Paso, Texas - U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Mexican Customs are jointly evaluating trade requests to expand the hours of service for commercial entries or transactions at the Bridge of The Americas crossing in the Port of El Paso/Juarez. Currently open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., 24-hour operations are being considered.

CBP and Mexican Customs are considering one or more crossing locations that may be used to pilot the concept of extended hours for commercial crossings. In order to evaluate these requests CBP and Mexican Customs need to measure and identify potential traffic volume during the extended hours. To perform this measurement the agencies are requesting that commercial entities that wish to utilize and benefit from the extended hours make a written commitment to participate in the pilot program.

Carriers, shippers, brokers and forwarders and others intending to participate in the pilot program should provide a statement, on company letterhead, containing the following information:

• Crossing location name
• Business name of the commercial entity
• Type of entity (carrier, shipper, importers, exporters, Customhouse broker, forwarders, etc.)
• Number of daily truck crossings anticipated during the extended hours and the estimated hours of arrival at the border
• Point of contact name and phone number
• A statement indicating your intent to participate in the pilot
• Date you would like to begin to participate

An electronic copy of your statement of intent should be provided to CBP and Mexican Customs no later than 5 p.m. on Friday, July 18, via email to U.S. Customs and Border Protection El Paso Assistant Port Director Norman Bebon at Norman.Bebon@dhs.gov and to Mexican Customs’ Ricardo Humberto Hernández Coronado at ricardo.hernandez@sat.gob.mx. Interested participants should also bring a copy of this letter to a stakeholders meeting scheduled to be held at the El Paso Airport Wyndham Hotel at 9 a.m. on July 24. All interested trade participants are welcome to attend this meeting where U.S. and Mexican representatives will discuss plans for an expanded hours pilot and take comments from the trade.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.