CBP deactivates old SENTRI cards

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will cancel old Secure Electronic Network for Travelers Rapid Inspection cards for current SENTRI members on 26 January. CBP has been mailing new SENTRI cards to all members since July. The new cards have enhanced security features and allow U.S. citizen cardholders to comply with the documentary requirements of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI).

All members must activate their new cards within thirty days, verify and update their contact information, and register or update their current license plate by accessing the Global Online Enrollment System on the CBP Web site.

SENTRI members should destroy their old cards after activating their new ones. If members have not received their new cards, they should go to their local enrollment center to either pick up their new card or have a new card issued. Old cards will be deactivated 26 January.

SENTRI is a land-border crossing program that provides expedited CBP processing for pre-approved, low-risk travelers along the U.S./Mexico border. The SENTRI program was first implemented at Otay Mesa, California in 1995, and has grown to include sixteen lanes at the nine largest ports of entry along the U.S.-Mexico border including San Ysidro, and Calexico in California, Nogales, Arizona; two crossings in El Paso, Texas; and the Texas ports of Laredo, Hidalgo, and Brownsville. More than 175,000 travelers from both sides of the border currently are registered in the SENTRI program.

A similar program called Nexus serves citizens of the U.S. and Canada on the northern border.