nuevo laredo mexico glafiro montemayor scrubland near u.s. border may look like much within years hop transform build giant new bridge across rio grande set sight billions dollars u.s.-mexico trade hail long line mexican customs broke montemayor bristle u.s. republican candidate donald trump promise build wall two countries threat rip north american free trade agreement nafta treaty good nuevo laredo montemayor believe nuevo laredo border bridge near capacity want build another wiry mesquite-filled land could eventually develop bi-national free trade zone lure investment job trump want build wall bilateral relationship require build bridge montemayor say air-condition office surround hunt trophies like montemayor many trade-dependent nuevo laredo fear trump propose policies could threaten city economic future hope democratic candidate hillary clinton win nov. election nonetheless fear clinton first lady husband bill sign nafta 1993 may absorb anti-trade view espouse trump democratic primary campaign rival bernie sanders bruise campaign particular fret public backtrack propose trans-pacific partnership see key driver future growth city trump call nafta bad trade deal ever sign unite state claim mexico get benefit lead u.s. firm ship job south vow renegotiate treaty possibly even scrap 1.5 billion trade cross u.s.-mexico border day place rely heavily commerce nuevo laredo feisty northeastern mexican border city full factory workers truckers also drug traffickers every day 6-km 3.7-mile line truck back mexico wait haul everything tomatoes fridge freezers across world trade bridge texas car part agricultural products plastics go way least 40 percent bilateral commerce flow across bridge nearly 20 percent mexico value-added tax billion collect 12,500 truck cross frontier day world trade bridge authority say bridge add second lucrative u.s. port port long beach los angeles visit bridge easy understand mexican drug cartels fight vicious battle control nuevo laredo cross turn city hotbed teenage gunslingers nervy soldier 6,500-odd truck enter unite state day officials search 1,000 drug move north unite state gun cash easily flow south bootleg long way life former zetas cartel kingpin miguel trevino aka z-40 bear nuevo laredo edgar valdez la barbie one-time associate jail capo joaquin el chapo guzman native laredo across river texas involve legitimate cross-border trade clam talk turn drug smuggle scourge trump use bash mexico prefer talk lawful commerce since september 11 attack 2001 unite state tighten border nuevo laredo business community learn hard way security primary concern northern neighbor days terrible border almost close say carlos martinez customs broke radio host academic result u.s. security concern say trade practice improve development efficient program like free secure trade fast scheme allow trust importers transit quickly across border ever since trend along border great integration streamline border martinez say example 2015 cross border xpress bridge allow travelers cross seamlessly tijuana airport san diego year first new rail bridge mexico unite state century open regardless campaign politics believe clinton commit free trade show publicly campaign even trump need protect bilateral trade win sean doherty 35-year u.s. customs border protection veteran involve development customs-trade partnership terrorism c-tpat supply chain program 11,000 company enrol help expedite secure cross-border commerce say program one many border scheme u.s. government thousands businesses invest heavily create run think trump would lot push-back blowback try disband type program doherty say lot rhetoric rhetoric happen win think lot things propose come back earth miguel conchas president laredo chamber commerce also dubious trump could fulfill campaign promise nonetheless say trump effect already felt across river texas real estate mogul ascent help push peso currency record low hurt laredo retail bank businesses rely mexican customers alfredo espinoza run world trade bridge trust nuevo laredo downcast election feel protectionist era imminent think trump go win say speak office overlook seemingly endless line truck nonetheless hillary ... open u.s. market protect scar us mexico mexico 's border trade capital crave clinton win caveats