A shooting at the El Chaparral port of entry on Thursday sparked major delays, with some travelers waiting more than three hours to enter Tijuana from San Diego, exposing what advocates call a pressing need for more efficient border protocols.
“Isolating the incident, it’s clear we need to reimagine security protocols for entering Mexico. We’re not against security, but we need to balance it with practicality and efficiency.” Joaquín Luken, executive director of the San Diego-Tijuana Smart Border Coalition, said.
Around 40,000 vehicles cross the border through this port of entry each day from San Diego to Tijuana.
“It was an unfortunate incident in which a person was shot by National Guard agents, but setting aside the specific event that caused the astronomical wait times, it shows how vulnerable the region is to an event of this magnitude,” he emphasized.
Effects of the Shooting
The incident began when a pursuit that started in San Diego ended in gunfire at the port of entry around 1 p.m. Though the situation was quickly contained, its ripple effects halted traffic for the rest of the day, with significant backups continuing until 10 p.m.
“Yesterday it was impossible to exit the line. There were people with children, elderly individuals, people with urgent needs. Authorities should have been redirecting traffic in San Ysidro to keep more cars from joining the queue,” Luken said.
Options to Avoid Traffic Congestion
One example would be to use some type of message or alert, similar to changeable highway message signs in San Diego, to communicate information to travelers who could be affected.
Luken mentioned that the Otay Port of Entry also collapsed due to the incident at El Chaparral, with long lines reported on State Route 905 up to Britannia Street, caused by passengers trying to get from San Diego to Tijuana.
“Something needs to be done about the wait times to enter Tijuana, regardless of the event. This only serves to emphasize how we have a problem with entering Mexico in a more efficient manner,” Luken said.
