
(Deming) -- Luna County Commission Chairman Jay Spivey met with Mexican officials
in an attempt to garner support to reopen the Columbus Cattle Crossing which was
closed after U-S-D-A officials deemed it unsafe for their veterinarians to cross the
border.
Spivey attended a regional meeting in Chihuahua, Mexico, Friday, and reportedly gained the support of the Chihuahuan governor and others.
Spivey previously sent a letter to U-S Senators Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall, saying Luna County residents were demanding answers as to why the Columbus cattle crossing had been singled out for closure by federal officials.
Spivey said in his letter that Luna County has not received an official written notification from U-S-D-A officials explaining their decision... and that three other cattle crossings that were shut down at the same time have since re-opened.
The U-S-D-A decision in early March came on the heels of a
U-S State Department directive that prohibits travel to Mexico for employees without armored vehicles and armed escorts.
New Mexico ranchers buy cattle from Mexico to supplement their herds. Other animals are also transferred through the crossing. Before animals are allowed to come into New Mexico, they must be inspected by a federal veterinarian to ensure they are disease-free.