U.S. Customs and Border Protection temporarily shut down the San Ysidro port of entry in San Diego-Tijuana, to install additional fortifications for migrant caravan in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico. The lanes reopened after about three hours. USP NEWS: SAN YSIDRO PORT OF ENTRY MEX
San Diego, California – A long-standing issue at the Tijuana-San Diego border crossing is once again under scrutiny as Tijuana Mayor Ismael Burgueño Ruiz issued a public call this week urging drivers to report corrupt police officers soliciting bribes to access faster traffic lanes.
For tens of thousands of daily border commuters, hours-long waits to cross into the U.S. have become routine. Facing these delays, many drivers have resorted to paying $20 to $40 in bribes to allegedly corrupt police or security personnel who offer access to expedited lanes at high-traffic ports of entry like San Ysidro.
Though the city has attempted multiple crackdowns on the illicit practice, efforts have largely fallen short. Reports suggest that some officers involved in the corruption tip off their colleagues about impending sting operations, allowing the bribery to continue largely unchecked.
In response, Mayor Burgueño Ruiz is calling on the public to help fight back. “We’re asking citizens to report and file a complaint,” he said in a statement. “Take out your cellphones and record anyone requesting a bribe for access to a traffic lane at the border.”
The mayor emphasized that recordings will be accepted anonymously, provided they can be used as evidence. “I won’t allow anyone to fall into this situation. Any public safety officer who does this will be immediately demoted,” he added.
This latest move represents a shift toward citizen-driven accountability, as frustration over border wait times and rampant corruption continues to mount. Many commuters have expressed anger and helplessness over what has become an open secret at the border.
“It’s not fair,” said one frequent border crosser who requested anonymity. “Some of us wait hours just to get to work, and others pay their way to the front. And the police are the ones making it possible.”
Mayor Burgueño Ruiz’s call for action underscores a renewed commitment to rooting out corruption, but the success of the effort may ultimately depend on public participation and political will to discipline officers, regardless of rank or connections.
