Of the Japanese producers, only Honda has for the moment made a big investment inside Mercosur's walls, though Toyota has a small plant making pick-ups, and is building another small one to make Corolla cars.

ECONOMIST: Making cars in Latin America

"A lot of New Mexicans said this is going to be Richardson's folly... we like to drive our pick-ups, we like to drive fast, we like to drive along with our rifles in the rack at the back of the car, and what's happened is everyone's realised that the Rail Runner has been a blessing because it gets people to where they're going quicker, " he says.

BBC: Full steam ahead for US railways

Aviation experts contend that even if intruders were able to access a control tower and disrupt operations, the nation's air traffic control system is designed with multiple back-ups so that other facilities could pick up control of the affected air space.

CNN: Union claims security lax at many air control towers