Cross-border commuters and logistics firms faced severe delays at California’s Otay Mesa port of entry late Sunday and into Monday morning, with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) reporting a 210-minute wait for standard passenger vehicles as of 4 p.m. PDT on September 27. Only two of the port’s 13 regular vehicle lanes were staffed, according to data scraped from CBP’s public feed. NEXUS/SENTRI trusted-traveler lanes fared slightly better at a 50-minute wait, while Ready Lanes were backed up 190 minutes. Pedestrian throughput continued normally. CBP has not issued a formal statement, but local trade groups attribute the lane closures to a weekend staffing shortage compounded by ongoing facilities upgrades. The Otay Mesa crossing is a critical gateway for San Diego’s maquiladora supply chain and for thousands of cross-border workers in tech, life-sciences and manufacturing. Car-rental companies at San Diego International Airport and ride-sharing services reported surge pricing as travelers missed flights and re-routed through the Cross-Border Xpress pedestrian bridge. Delays rippled eastward, with Tecate and Calexico crossings posting waits above 100 minutes by Monday morning. CBP’s union local in San Diego has long warned that uncertain overtime funding forces ad-hoc lane closures that choke trade worth an estimated $40 million a day. Employers with staff who commute daily from Tijuana should expect continued volatility through the week and consider flexible start times or remote-work options. Companies shipping time-sensitive goods should build extra lead time or shift to the Otay Mesa commercial crossing, which remained at normal processing volumes.
Source: WaitTimeReport (CBP feed)
