Holding a U.S. passport, a man coming from Mexico lines up at a port of entry into Laredo, Texas, under the watchful eye of a U.S. Border Patrol agent and a dog used to sniff out illegal narcotics. Image by © Louie Palu/ZUMA. United States, 2012.
U.S. Border Patrol agents stack bundles of marijuana seized from a vehicle at a checkpoint on the I-35 highway just north of the key port of entry from Mexico located in Laredo, Texas. Image by © Louie Palu/ZUMA. United States, 2012.
A U.S. Border Patrol facility in Laredo, Texas, where agents monitor video surveillance of the U.S.-Mexico border. Image by © Louie Palu/ZUMA. United States, 2012.
A U.S. Customs and Border Patrol officer leafs through photographs of various species of insects considered to be a threat to U.S. agriculture and forests at the inspection area west of Laredo, Texas. Image by © Louie Palu/ZUMA. United States, 2012.
U.S. Customs and Border Patrol officers check passports and identification of mostly Mexican citizens coming into the United States at the Laredo port of entry in Texas. Image by © Louie Palu/ZUMA. United States, 2012.
U.S. Customs and Border Patrol officers search vehicles coming into Texas from Mexico at the Laredo port of entry. Image by © Louie Palu/ZUMA. United States, 2012.
A U.S. Customs and Border Patrol officer questions Mexican men during a secondary search in the southbound lanes in Laredo, Texas, before they head back to Mexico. Image by © Louie Palu/ZUMA. United States, 2012.
A U.S. Customs and Border Patrol officer searches a load of broccoli from Mexico headed into the United States at a port of entry dedicated to commercial traffic in Laredo, Texas which is one of the most important land border crossings for trade between the U.S. and Mexico. Image by © Louie Palu/ZUMA. United States, 2012.
Some of the thousands of commercial trucks carrying goods into the United States line up at U.S. customs port of entry dedicated to commercial traffic in Laredo, Texas. This is one of the most important land border crossings for trade between the U.S. and Mexico. Image by © Louie Palu/ZUMA. United States, 2012.
A U.S. Border Patrol agent on a dirt road in a heavily vegetated area near the banks of the Rio Grande, a section of the border well known for smuggling and illegal crossings. Image by © Louie Palu/ZUMA. United States, 2012.

See also

Published January 5, 2013

Louie Palu, for the Pulitzer Center

Presenting a view of the main U.S. ports of entry into Laredo, Texas, this slideshow shows inspection areas operated by the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol. It explores several aspects of U.S. border security, trade and border economics, and drug trafficking.

Project

Drawing the Line: The U.S.- Mexico Border

Louie Palu explores the U.S.-Mexico border where violence runs rampant: What does it look like? How has the immigration policy evolved? And what are the economic and security issues?

Recently

January 17, 2013 /

Louie Palu on La Frontera: Life Along the U.S.-Mexico Border

Louie Palu
Journalist Louie Palu uses his camera to examine security and immigration issues on the U.S.-Mexico border.
January 14, 2013 / Untold Stories

Election Day in Monterrey, Mexico

Louie Palu
Visiting Monterrey, Mexico, on election day, Louie Palu gets a behind-the-scenes look at the aftermath of drug-related violence.
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