Posted on 08/13/2005 4:10:14 PM PDT by SwinneySwitch
HIDALGO — A bomb threat shut down the bridges to and from Reynosa in both Hidalgo and Pharr for more than an hour Friday night.
"We don’t know if (the threat came from) the bridge in Texas or Reynosa; we are reviewing both," said Carlos Hernández Gallardo of the Reynosa fire and rescue team.
Shortly after 8:30 p.m., when the anonymous phone threat was made to both bridges, port officials decided to close the bridges and the surrounding area as a precaution, said Rick Pauza, a Laredo-based spokesman for U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Officials at the bridge said they could not remember another time the international bridges had ever been closed, though Pauza said a bomb threat had been received last year.
"It is very rare that we experience threats," he said.
George Ramon, Director of the Hidalgo/Reynosa bridge, said law enforcement worked diligently to "sweep the area."
The bridge closure caused traffic to back up for several blocks, with dozens of cars waiting outside a local Whataburger. Other drivers chose to turn back, rather than wait in line.
At the time of the closure, Hidalgo police diverted traffic eastbound toward El Texano Drive, said police spokesman Lt. Herman D. Perez. The southbound lanes toward the Hidalgo/Reynosa International Bridge reopened at approximately 10:15 p.m. It wasn’t clear if Mexican officials also opened their lanes at the same time.
Pauza said there was a suspect that local authorities might pick up later.
The local scares come nearly one week after federal authorities shut down Laredo’s four international bridges two times in one day because of separate bomb threats that turned out to be false.
Staff writer Miriam Ramirez translated and contributed to this report.
Please FReepmail me if you want on or off this South Texas/Mexico ping list.
Our border anarchists must be so proud.
Hahahaha! This is too funny. There's no way there'd be a bomb on any border crossing. Fox wouldn't stand for it. For gosh sakes, it might slow down those poor immigrants hoping for jobs Americans won't do.
Our porous border is a pressure release valve that keeps Mexicos ruling class from being overthrown. Frankly I think the ruling class could use a lot more pressure than they're getting.
I agree let the pressure build until the pot blows
Nixon was well aware of this in the 70s, fearing that the climate in Mexico was ripe for communism, something which he felt had to be quelched at all costs. We could not have another Fidel controlling Mexico, our southern neighbor.
Until Mexico gets its own house in order, something I believe won't happen, the exodus will continue. The majority in the USA is too soft and will also do nothing (but the lefties and capitalists will continue to suppport illegal aliens for their own ends).
For a country which prides itself on strength, Mexico is one complete rat hole.
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