The U.S. State Department has revoked visas belonging to hundreds of Mexican cargo truck drivers along the border, targeting cabotage violations that date back as far as three years. The crackdown has hit Tijuana and the Otay Mesa port of entry especially hard, with at least 70 visas canceled in the Tijuana region alone.
Alejandra Mier y Terán, executive director of the Otay Mesa Chamber of Commerce, confirmed the revocations in a statement posted April 30. Drivers received letters from the State Department citing violations of their B-1 commercial visa terms. The primary offense: transporting goods between two cities inside the United States instead of returning to Mexico after a cross-border delivery.
What Counts as a Violation
Under U.S. law and the USMCA trade agreement (known in Mexico as the T-MEC), Mexican truck drivers on B-1 visas may only haul cargo across the international border. Moving freight between two U.S. points is cabotage, a practice reserved for American carriers. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) issued a formal alert on cabotage rules in May 2025, but enforcement has now escalated sharply.
Drivers are also losing visas for crossing the border without their trucks, such as for personal tourism, and for failing to activate electronic logging devices at the start of a trip rather than at the border gate. Alfonso Millán, the Tijuana delegate for the National Chamber of Freight Transport (Canacar), confirmed the 70 cancellations in the Tijuana area and said companies will need stricter training programs on international transit law and English proficiency.
Retroactive Enforcement Catches Drivers Off Guard
The most alarming aspect of the crackdown is its retroactive nature. Authorities are now mining compliance records they previously never monitored, flagging violations committed up to three years ago. Drivers who operated for years without incident are being caught off guard by letters revoking their visas based on old data.
Canacar officials in Mexicali have raised additional concerns. They allege that some drivers face hours of intensive questioning at the border and, under pressure, admit to violations they did not commit. CBP has not formally responded to those allegations. Under U.S. law, visa issuance and revocation are discretionary, and border agents hold broad authority to cancel documents when they suspect violations.
Supply Chain Disruptions Expected
Mier y Terán warned the driver shortage will push freight costs higher and force carriers to seek American replacement drivers. Otay Mesa is one of the busiest commercial ports of entry in the world, handling billions of dollars in cross-border trade annually. Delays at the crossing will ripple through supply chains on both sides of the border.
The Otay Mesa Chamber of Commerce has requested additional guidance from CBP and urged affected drivers whose visas were revoked without a clear current or past violation to reapply and explain their situation during a new interview. The story was first reported by Jornada BC.