Eagle Pass Delegation Visits Washington, D. C. to Advocate for Federal Projects
By: Ricardo E. Calderon, Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc., Copyright 2025
A delegation of City of Eagle Pass, Texas representatives visited several federal offices and publicly-elected officials to advocate for greater funding and approval of current and future federal government projects in the community during March 10-13,, 2025, particularly approval of the City’s pending application for a Presidential Permit Amendment for the expansion of the Camino Real International Bridge (Bridge II) from six to 12 lanes.
The City of Eagle Pass delegation members participating in the Washington, D. C. advocacy trip included City Council Members Monica J. Cruz and Mario E. Garcia, Assistant City Manager Ivan Morua, and Eagle Pass Water Works System Board of Trustee Morris Libson, Jr.
On the first day, the Eagle Pass Delegation met with United States Senator Ted Cruz, representatives of U. S. Senator John Cornyn, and U. S. House of Representative Tony Gonzales to discuss the critical needs of Eagle Pass and potential federal funding opportunities under the President Donald J. Trump Administration.
The Eagle Pass Delegation also met with senior U. S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials to present the pressing infrastructure and staffing needs at the Port of Eagle Pass, particularly at the Eagle Pass International Bridges Nos. I and II. With the total trade volume increasing annually at the Eagle Pass Port of Entry, the demand for greater infrastructure and staffing needs have increased, as well. Eagle Pass delegates noted the importance of ensuring efficient processing of trade and travel remains a top priority as well as national security.
On the second day, the Eagle Pass representatives held key meetings with representatives at the U. S. State Department to discuss and review the pending application for an amended Presidential Permit to expand the Camino Real International Bridge (Bride II) from six to 12 lanes. The expansion of the Camino Real International Bridge requires an amendment to the City of Eagle Pass’s current Presidential Permit to operate a six lane bridge to the new proposed 12 lanes.
This bridge expansion project is a joint effort between the City of Eagle Pass and the State of Coahuila, which owns Bridge II operations on the Mexican side. The State of Coahuila has already invested tens of millions of dollars in developing and constructing the infrastructure required for the expansion to 12 lanes while waiting for the City of Eagle Pass to obtain the amendment to its Presidential Permit.
Eagle Pass representatives advised federal officials that the City is committed to complying with all federal requirements necessary to obtain the Presidential Permit Amendment for the Camino Real International Bridge (Bridge II). International trade experts predict that the Port of Eagle Pass has the potential to grow up to $750 Billion in trade by the year 2050 because of its strategic geographic location, near shoring manufacturing in Mexico under the United States Mexico Canada Free Trade Agreement, Mexico’s development of its Pacific Ocean Ports and highway infrastructure, and global trade trends.
Expansion of Camino Real International Bridge (Bridge II) is one of the most important issues facing the City of Eagle Pass as international bridge revenues fund almost 50 percent of the City’s annual fiscal year budget. The expansion project entails building a second tower parallel to the existing Camino Real International Bridge with all six new lanes dedicated to commercial trade traffic.
Time is of the essence for the City of Eagle Pass because the State of Coahuila has completed its project and a third international bridge project by the privately-owned company, Puerto Verde Holdings, LLC, under the sponsorship of Maverick County has obtained a Presidential Permit in May 2024 to build a new commercial trade bridge immediately north of the City limits in the Seco Mines area, which once built and operational will compete with the City of Eagle Pass’s Camino Real International Bridge for commercial trade vehicle traffic. The City of Eagle Pass potentially may lose considerable international bridge revenues to fund the City’s annual fiscal year budget in the foreseeable future.
Overall, the Eagle Pass Delegation proclaimed the trip to Washington, D. C. successful and critical for advocating the needs of our community to federal publicly-elected representatives and federal officials in the new Trump Administration. The Eagle Pass Delegation trip was coordinated by the City’s lobbying firm, The Normandy Group.
