Photos

Photo taken at end of "calle de Hidalgo", on south bank of Rio Grande.

Notes on the city:

The colonial city of San Agustin de Laredo was founded in 1755 on the north bank of the Rio Grande. It became a Mexican city with Mexico's independence from Spain. When the north bank of the river was ceded to the United States in 1848, some Mexicans moved south across the river to keep their nationality and formed Nuevo Laredo.
Here the borderline blurs. Families are split between two countries. Workers commute between nations. When crossing from Reynosa to McAllen, east of Laredo, to shop or visit: They used the new-born verb: "mccalleando." In fact, there is a dependency between the two countries, for food, fuel, clothes, everything.
Within 10 years from 1990 to 2000, Nuevo Laredo increases its inhabitants from 200,000 to over half a million: it is the largest inland U.S. port on the border.
Nuevo Laredo (Mexico), on the Rio Grande River, sits opposite Laredo, Texas, USA. Connected to Laredo by the International Bridge and by rail, it is a major port of entry and tourist center, as well as a market for cattle, cotton, grains, and sugarcane. Most of the shops and restaurants that cater to tourists are within an eight-block walk of the border. On the main street, Avenida Guerrero, you'll find handicrafts, clothing, jewelry, leather goods, and blankets. Zaragoza Street is lined with historic buildings and swaying palms. Almost 1.3 million trucks hauling $49 billion in merchandise crossing here each year. It also leads the nation in drug cargo seizures.

Behind its economic face, Nuevo Laredo is also a gateway to “paradise USA” for illegal immigrants. Mexican citizens go to this northern city not only to look for a job. Many of them are looking for a "coyote" (smuggler of immigrants) to find way to cross the U.S.-Mexico border. If you are interested in what is happening behind the law, you may want to refer to the following links:

Deadly Crossing
Crossing U.S. Border With Mexican Illegal Immigrants
Death At The Border
Life and Death on the Southwest Border
Smuggling on the Mexico border today