People in the United States have witnessed a rapid rise in gas prices since the war broke out between Russia and Ukraine. This spike in fuel prices has forced several natives to cross the borders for cheaper options. An increasing number of people in Texas are reportedly driving to Mexico for filling their vehicles for a lesser price.
While fuel prices are soaring high in the US, gas prices are over a dollar cheaper in Mexico, according to a report by KTSM. So, several people living in El Paso, Texas, are driving to Juarez in Mexico for cheaper gas. According to a gasoline vendor in Juarez, there is an increase in the number of Americans visiting the pump to get gas.
"We've had a few days where it was noticeable. The people come very early, they are here at 6 in the morning. The first cars that come in are Americans. They wait for a while and the first thing they ask is how much is the gas, and then they make the comment that it is so much more expensive over there (in El Paso)", Victor Chavez, a Juarez gasoline vendor, said.
In a similar vein, another Juarez gasoline vendor named Jonathan Rivas said he also witnessed more traffic and more vehicles with Texas License plates in the pump for the past few days. The gas station is near to El Paso, and the fuel is available for a cheaper price here, he added.
Texans Explain Why they Cross Borders to Fuel Up.
"The gas is over the clouds — it's almost $5 a gallon. We already came out here and put gas in Juarez because, in El Paso, it is overly expensive", El Pasoan Rene Gaucin told KTSM about crossing the borders to fuel up his car.
The gas price in Mexico is US$ 3 a gallon, and the rate across the border is US$ 4.19 a gallon.
However, the drive from El Paso to Juarez is not easy. They are indeed sister cities divided by the Rio Grande, and it only takes 15 minutes or less for a Texan to drive into Mexico. But they have to wait for nearly an hour on the weekdays and around three hours on the weekend to re-enter Texas.
Still, several Texan natives think it is worth a wait to get to cheaper gas. El Pasoan Anai Santarriaga said she never thought about crossing the borders to fill up her car. But now, she regularly drives to the Mexican city.
"I'm starting to think I should go to Juarez and fill it up because it's crazy", she said.
El Pasoan Oscar Diaz also has a similar opinion as he said it is better to drive into Mexico rather than wasting more money in Texas.
Reason for Difference in Gas Prices in the US and Mexico
Though the gas for Juarez comes from the US, there is a big difference in the gas prices in El Paso and Juarez, Fernando Carbajal, the president of a gasoline vendors group, said.
"It is very feasible that people are passing to get gas from Ciudad Juarez because there is such a big difference. But don't rule out the fact that we also consume products from the United States. (The gas) that we consume in Juarez is from the US", he said.
Usually, the gas prices on the US side are cheaper than on the Mexican side. But there is a rapid rise in fuel prices in the US for the last few weeks because of the Russian- Ukraine war. Another reason for the rise in fuel prices in the US is the country's take on Russian energy imports.
