A Texas woman recently went viral after sharing her harrowing experience of accidentally driving to Mexico while trying to find a Home Depot.
According to the Daily Dot, Trinity Jackson (@thetrinityjackson) posted a video to her TikTok account explaining that she went to El Paso for two weeks to spend time with her mother after sharing that she needed to get away from Houston, where Jackson currently lives.
In the five-minute video, Jackson said she and her mother spent a weekend together before Jackson dropped her mother off at the airport. Shortly after, her mother texted her a reminder to pick up the zip ties she needed from Home Depot.
@thetrinityjackson A mistake you only make once for sure
Jackson then searched for the nearest Home Depot in the area and found one about 11 minutes away. As she headed for the retail store, Jackson didn’t realize how one missed exit could lead to a nerve-wracking situation.
She was driving with her music on and her dogs in the backseat when she saw a sign that read “Port of Juarez,” a land port connecting to El Paso and Cuidad Juarez, Mexico, per the Daily Dot.
“Mind you, at this point, I’m already way too close to the sign to put two and two together, and I realize I am now exiting America and heading to Mexico,” Jackson said.
Jackson explained how she tried to find an area where she could turn around and head back to the United States. However, the road continued to lead her further into the country.
“I wanna stay in America, I don’t want to leave America, alright? I love Team USA,” Jackson affirmed in the clip.
Jackson continued driving and eventually reached the Border Patrol. She quickly asked for help from two agents, but the language barrier was challenging. Since the two workers spoke Spanish and Jackson spoke English, she had to rely on Google Translate to communicate with them.
“I said I need to understand how I can get back into my country,” Jackson explained. “I didn’t mean to do this; this is an accident; this is a missed exit to the extreme.”
When asked for a valid vehicle registration, Jackson said she didn’t have the necessary paperwork to prove it. The agent realized Jackson was nervous and frustrated by the ordeal. After she told him she had her driver’s license, passport and other legal documents, the agent decided to help her.
The pair continued talking when he advised Jackson to tell the next agent that she had accidentally entered the country. As she reached the front of the line, several agents and security dogs circled her car. They used mirrors to check underneath the vehicle while surveillance cameras were fixed on Jackson and her car.
At the time, Jackson feared she would be stuck in a foreign country without having a way back home. However, one of the agents said she was cleared to reenter the U.S. and that if it happened again, she should exit the vehicle and explain her situation, and they would stop traffic for her to turn back around.
Jackson said she would never make that mistake again and learned her lesson.
“Whole time in my head, one thing’s for sure, two things for sure, this is never happening again. This is a mistake you make once. Once,” Jackson said.
Jackson also didn’t care about the zip ties or finding the local Home Depot to purchase them.
“I don’t care about the zip ties. The zip ties will be there tomorrow. I’m gonna crotchet, drink some wine, and go to bed in America,” Jackson concluded.
In a subsequent video, Jackson said she wasn’t worried about going to Mexico. She was primarily concerned about being unprepared for the situation while having her dogs with her.
@thetrinityjackson Replying to @LlamaYess two trips across the border in one day
The post amassed more than 461,000 views, with users sharing their thoughts and similar experiences traveling to the border.
“I went to El Paso once and T-Mobile texted me ‘welcome to Mexico’ while I was driving ….. I panicked so bad,” one user wrote.
“I’m driving straight home, music OFF, two hands on the wheel,” another wrote.
“Note to self never drive in El Paso with my sense of direction I will end up in Mexico day one hour 2,” a third user wrote.
