Free Republic

REYNOSA — At least six people are reportedly dead after several vehicles exploded during an apparent shootout Tuesday evening. Gunfire and explosions erupted about 5 p.m. Tuesday along the highway between Monterrey and Reynosa on the city’s far west side, near the Anzalduas International Bridge, sources said. Apparently slain in the battle were two Mexican army soldiers and four suspected drug cartel members who were burned to death inside an SUV. A woman was also reportedly shot in the rear end and was rushed to an area hospital for surgery, a source said. The apparent explosions along the Reynosa-Monterrey highway...

The 2,000-mile U.S.-Mexico border is a pure disconnect, at least in terms of transportation. Both countries have highway routes designed long before the possibility that the economies of the two nations would someday integrate under a North American Free Trade Agreement. The result is that NAFTA land trade must zigzag through obstacle courses as raw materials and components go to factories and final products are shipped to markets. The best-positioned border-crossing ports, such as Laredo, are overcrowded. The others are underused. The governments of both nations understand the competitive necessity to build better highway connections. The cost is prohibitive, however,...