On Friday, at a joint meeting in Weslaco with Tamaulipas Gov. Francisco Javier García Cabeza de Vaca, Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steve McCraw made an admission: The controversial enhanced truck inspections by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott have yielded no actual cases of human trafficking or drug trafficking, the supposed basis for the inspections in the first place.
Abbott, however, was quick to claim that it was "no surprise" that this had happened — because the drug cartels knew the inspections were coming and stopped using commercial vehicles ahead of the policy going forward.
Abbott says "it was no surprise" that this was the case, because cartels knew the inspections were happening and therefore did not use commercial vehicles to transport contraband.— Madlin Mekelburg (@Madlin Mekelburg) 1650055584
This comes as Abbott has come under heavy criticism for the inspections, which have snared traffic along the roads of entry into the United States and resulted in a protest blockade of Mexican truck drivers.
Experts have warned the backups could cause shortages of produce and worsen inflation throughout the country; gubernatorial candidate Beto O'Rourke has slammed Abbott as an "economic arsonist," and even GOP state Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller slammed the policy as bad for business.
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