(NewsNation) — Officials on the southern border are warning that there will be major traffic in the area as thousands of people across the United States travel to see their families in Mexico this holiday season.
In Laredo, Texas, the police department say lines of congestion can cause people to wait for hours. Officials in Eagle Pass, Texas are also reporting long lines of congestion on International Bridge One and International Bridge Two that could affect commerce. Some of the traffic on those bridges being rerouted to different roads.
That journey to see loved ones can take up to two weeks for some — and lately, it’s been much more dangerous to travel to Mexico, because of drug cartels working along the southern border.
In recent years, hundreds of police officers have been monitoring roads and assisting travelers. To facilitate the holiday travel, Mexican officials have stepped up security on their side even more. For instance, in the Mexican state of Chihuahua, police say they’ve deployed an additional 400 officers.
On the American side, the Texas Department of Public Safety deployed additional officers as at least 9.1 million Texans will be hitting the skies and roads this year. In total, an estimated 119.3 million Americans will travel during the year-end holidays, according to the American Automobile Association.
Officials are recommending that all those who head into Mexico look on social media for any statements from local law enforcement that come in.
