SANTA TERESA – U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., paid a visit to the Santa Teresa Port of Entry Wednesday morning for a tour and briefing on upgrades in progress at the port as well as the needs of U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency. Heinrich toured the complex with his staff, but port authorities barred reporters from following. The senator spoke with reporters from the Las Cruces Sun-News in the parking lot at the end of his visit. In Washington, Heinrich sits on the Senate Appropriations Committee and is Vice-Chair of the Joint Economic Committee. He said the purpose of his visit was "getting my pulse on exactly what has changed, what we need to invest in to continue positioning Santa Teresa as a regional alternative to a lot of these ports of entry that have come under strain over the years."