A protest in downtown Nogales, Sonora led to the closure of southbound traffic through a port of entry Wednesday afternoon.
Mexican authorities closed the lanes leading south from the Dennis DeConcini Port of Entry after shutting down the nearby railroad crossing, said Peter Bidegain, a spokesman for U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Traffic is being routed to the Mariposa Port of Entry on the west side of Nogales while CBP monitors the situation, he said. Northbound traffic through the DeConcini port is unaffected.
For the past several days, Nogales, Sonora residents have gathered at government buildings and highway toll booths to protest a recent increase in the price of gasoline, the Mexican newspaper El Imparcial reported.
Mexican officials parked pickup trucks across the southbound lanes at the DeConcini port to block traffic on Wednesday, the Nogales International reported. On Tuesday, protestors briefly took over the customs station at the port of entry and waved vehicles into Mexico without inspection.
Protests of the price hike unfolded in 11 Mexican states and affected 34 highways on Wednesday, the Mexican newspaper El Universal reported.
