22 Oct Cameron County Bridges End Fiscal Year $2.8M Ahead, With Los Indios Trucking Leading Growth

Commercial truck traffic at Cameron County’s Los Indios bridge has grown 30% to 40% every quarter and now averages 400 to 500 trucks a day, up from about 100 a day roughly three years ago, County Administrator Pete Sepulveda Jr. told commissioners Tuesday.

Sepulveda updated the court on bridge revenue for July through September. The figures are unaudited, he said, but he’s confident they’re accurate. The county’s bridges are finishing the fiscal year about $2.8 million ahead of 2025, with about $1.9 million of that as surplus for the county.

In general, Los Indios posted the biggest revenue growth of any crossing, bringing in nearly $1.7 million from about 157,000 crossings during the quarter. Foot and transmigrant traffic each dropped by double digits, but commercial revenue rose 52% over the same stretch last year. Sepulveda said brokers, investors and trucking companies keep inquiring about sending commercial vehicles across and that he expects the trend to hold. The crossing was also recently awarded $9.2 million in federal funding to build a truck parking lot, meant to make nearby roads safer.

Commissioner David Garza, who represents Precinct 3, said the county could market Los Indios to truckers as a secure way to reach Mexico’s interior, and that Mexico’s national government has increased protection along that route. He said truckers on the route haven’t reported extortion, which he said has been common at other bridges, with demands of up to $450 per trailer.

Elsewhere, the Gateway International Bridge logged more than 793,000 crossings and $2.1 million in revenue, up 18% from last year. Veterans International Bridge took in $3.3 million from about 514,000 crossings, up 9%. Foot traffic and passenger cars jumped there, while commercial crossings dropped 16%. Sepulveda blamed a roughly 10-day stretch when Mexican customs wouldn’t let empty trucks cross at Veterans.