SAN DIEGO (Border Report) — The Cross Border Xpress, or CBX, has become the first land border crossing to implement passenger biometric technology and is only one of 12 airport facilities in North America to have it.

CBX is a terminal that connects Southern California to the Tijuana International Airport via a pedestrian bridge that straddles the border.

It’s been in operation for nearly 10 years processing close to 30 million users since it began operations.

As of last week, passengers returning from the Mexico through CBX have been able to scan their U.S. passports or U.S. passport cards as they leave the Tijuana airport.

Upon reaching the U.S. side of the facility, Customs and Border Protection officers already have their biometrics, citizenship information and other data.

“By the time you cross, they will do an instant comparison of your face that allows passengers to enter the United States in a faster, easier and more secure way, and sometimes without the need to see an officer,” said Jorge Goytortua, CEO of CBX.

CBX said that on average, it takes passengers 18 minutes from the time they retrieve their luggage at the Tijuana airport to the point they actually cross the border.

The new technology allows CBP officers to streamline the entry inspection process for those coming back to the United States, Goytortua said.

“It will cut down by 10 to 20 percent of an already fast CBX crossing time,” he said. “It sets CBX as the standard for cross-border transit while improving the travel experience for our passengers.”

The director of CBP field operations in San Diego, Sidney K. Aki, said the new technology at CBX is part of an effort to “advance innovative procedures and technologies that strengthen efficiency and security at this unique port of entry.”