‘Operation Smoker’ Nets Polluters at San Ysidro

In an attempt to clean up the noxious air that often envelopes the San Ysidro border crossing, drivers of cars that spew too much exhaust were issued citations Tuesday as they entered the United States.

U.S. Customs Service inspectors ordered 292 vehicles to pull into an inspection lot, where state law enforcement officers waited, said Customs spokeswoman Bobbie Cassidy.

The drivers were singled out because their cars were emitting smoke or because the driver didn’t have proper identification or vehicle registration.

The California Highway Patrol and the state Department of Motor Vehicles issued more than 160 citations during the crackdown, which was held from 6 a.m. to noon, Cassidy said. Sixteen were for excessive exhaust only, and the rest were for excessive exhaust and other vehicle violations, including expired registration tags and failure to show proof of insurance.

Many cars entering the United States from Mexico do not meet U.S. emissions standards and are major contributors to the growing air pollution problem in San Ysidro, Cassidy said. The pollution is concentrated at the 24-lane San Ysidro Port of Entry, where one out of four cars waited more than 25 minutes to get through in September. Workers suffered from nausea, headaches, runny eyes and noses, she said.

Although Customs inspectors can check a license plate number against a computerized database to see if a vehicle has been reported stolen or involved in a crime, the database has no information about vehicle code violations, so inspectors can’t check for outstanding citations, Cassidy said.

After a vehicle code violation is issued, it is up to the courts and the district attorney to deal with the offender. A CHP spokesman said the citations for excessive exhaust require a court appearance and proof that the problem has been corrected.

This was the fourth time that the three agencies got together for “Operation Smoker,” said Customs spokesman Jim Brown. The first was in October, and more sessions are planned.

“It’s a constant problem,” he said.