The Mariposa Port of Entry at Nogales, Arizona is a leading U.S. entry point for winter produce trucked from Mexico, according to the Greater Nogales Port Authority. It anchors the Pacific corridor from Sinaloa and Sonora and was an early site for joint U.S.-Mexico cargo inspections, according to CBP. Cargado brokers posted more than 1,000 loads through Nogales in the past year.
Nogales, AZ
Nogales, Sonora
Mariposa Port of Entry
1,000+ loads posted in the past year
Reefer produce dominates in the winter shipping season, joined year-round by dry van manufacturing freight from Sonora's Hermosillo and Guaymas industrial corridor.
Nogales is the produce gate of the border. The Mariposa Port of Entry handles the largest volume of fresh produce trucked into the U.S. from Mexico, according to the Greater Nogales Port Authority, drawing on the growing regions of Sinaloa and Sonora down Mexico's Federal Highway 15. Peak season runs through the winter months, when tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, melons, and berries surge north. Mariposa also pioneered Unified Cargo Processing, where CBP and Mexican customs officers inspect trucks together to cut duplicate handling, according to CBP, and Arizona has invested in modernizing the State Route 189 connector that links the port to Interstate 19, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.
Produce loads commonly transload at Nogales warehouses for inspection and consolidation before the U.S. linehaul, while manufactured freight increasingly runs door-to-door on through-trailers. See transbordo for the two models, and Mexico 101 for crossing fundamentals.
On Cargado, brokers posted more than 1,000 loads through Nogales in the past year, with dozens of vetted carriers bidding on the crossing. Because activity is seasonal, posting with lead time ahead of the winter peak is the most reliable way to lock coverage.
Winter is the peak, when Sinaloa and Sonora growing regions push their harvest north through Mariposa and reefer capacity tightens across the corridor. Appointment discipline at Nogales warehouses matters, and carriers favor postings with clear commodity, temperature, and schedule detail. In the off season the crossing runs quieter and manufacturing freight makes up a larger share of activity.
Only if your end customer genuinely requires it. CTPAT and its Mexican counterpart OEA speed border processing through dedicated lanes, and many serious cross-border carriers hold them, but flagging the requirement on a posting measurably suppresses the number of carriers who respond. Reserve the flag for freight that truly needs it and let vetting cover the rest.
Cargado connects 250+ brokers with 2,000+ vetted carriers running Mexico and Canada freight every day.