Nuevo Laredo, << NWAY voh lah RAY doh or noo AY voh luh RAY doh >> (pop. 416,055), is a city on the eastern part of Mexico’s border with the United States. Three road bridges across the Rio Grande link the city with Laredo, Texas, which is located just north of the border. Nuevo Laredo is a major point of entry into Mexico. It lies at the northern end of one of the stretches of the Pan American Highway, a major road to Mexico City.
The city of Laredo was founded in 1755. It then included what are now Laredo and Nuevo Laredo. Laredo and Nuevo Laredo became separate cities in 1848, when the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo established the boundary between Mexico and Texas. Nuevo in the name Nuevo Laredo means new. At one time, the city attracted millions of tourists annually. During the early 2000’s, however, tourism declined because rivalries between drug cartels increased crime in the area.
