Waiting area of the new Customs and Border Patrol crossing and point of entry on the U.S. side in Big Bend National Park near Rio Grande Village. ©2013 Robert W. Hart

The much-awaited opening of the new Customs and Border Patrol crossing and point of entry in Big Bend National Park happened today, Wednesday April 10, 2013. For the first time in more than a decade, since the days shortly after 9/11, Mexican and U.S. citizens can cross the border legally between the U.S. and the tiny Mexican village of Boquillas del Carmen.