see also: in August 2008:   CBP in New York Apprehends Suspected Interpol Fugitive   Louisville CBP Finds Heroin in Woman’s Suit   CBP Officers Nab More than $1 Million in Narcotics in 48-hour Period   Philadelphia CBP Seizes $650,000 in Fake Bank Checks   CBP on a Roll Seizing Fake Handbags, Footwear Again in California   Calexico Downtown Port Officers Intercept $100K Narcotic Smuggling Attempt   CBP Outbound Inspection Yields 293 Unreported Ostrich Skins ...more on cbp.gov:   CBP News Releases   Press Officers

contacts for this news release

Otay Mesa, Calif. - The Otay Mesa port of entry will beef up its ability to process U.S. bound passenger cars during the upcoming Labor Day weekend by temporarily converting up to six cargo truck lanes to supplement the traffic lanes at its adjacent passenger car port, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials announced today.

U.S. and Mexican agencies will collaborate to route northbound passenger cars through the Mexican export lot into the CBP cargo facility during the early evening hours starting at about 5 p.m. on Sunday, August 31, and Monday, September 1.

The conversion from trucks to cars will begin once commercial cargo processing at the facilities ceases at about 4 p.m. The cargo lots on both sides of the border normally process commercial shipments of merchandise from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sundays and U.S. holidays.

Port officials decided to utilize the cargo facility on the holiday weekend to supplement the 13-lane passenger border station after evaluating the results of a feasibility test last month that determined the cargo facilities could be employed efficiently and securely to temporarily extend the number of available passenger car traffic lanes leading into the U.S.

“We evaluated the test data and found the conversion could be accomplished successfully to improve traffic wait times,” said Gurdit Dhillon, CBP director of field operations in San Diego. “CBP is sensitive to this issue and we are working with our Mexican colleagues to employ strategies such as this to reduce the impact on travelers.”

Mexican police officials will be positioned in the northbound lanes and will begin routing waiting northbound traffic onto a cargo truck lane in Mexico that leads to the Mexican customs export lot. From there, the traffic will make its way north into the U.S. cargo import lot where four temporary primary processing lanes will be established to process vehicular traffic similar to that being accomplished in the passenger facility.

The temporary station will be able to issue I-94 permits for Mexican travelers and will include efforts by agricultural specialists to inspect any plants or food products if needed.

CBP has reached out to law enforcement and community organizations in Tijuana, the news media and the American consulate in Tijuana to improve awareness of the new lanes this holiday weekend.

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.