Privacy Policy

Effective Date: 02/28/2026

Mendiola Customs Brokerage ("Company," "we," "us," or "our") respects your privacy and is committed to protecting personal information collected through our website, web-based portal, applications, communications, and related services (collectively, the "Portal" and "Services").

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, store, and otherwise process personal information in connection with the Portal and Services.

1. Scope

This Privacy Policy applies to personal information collected by or on behalf of Company through:

  • our website and Portal;
  • account registration and login processes;
  • document uploads, submissions, and communications;
  • invoices, payments, and related transactions;
  • emails, phone calls, text messages, and other communications; and
  • interactions with our service providers, contractors, and representatives acting on our behalf.

This Privacy Policy does not apply to information collected by third parties through websites, platforms, or services not controlled by Company, even if linked through the Portal.

2. Business Use; No Healthcare Data

The Portal and Services are intended for business and commercial customs-related use.

Do not upload medical records, patient health information, or other unnecessary healthcare-related information to the Portal. If such information is submitted, it will be processed only as reasonably necessary to provide the Services, secure accounts, comply with legal obligations, maintain required records, and enforce our agreements and legal rights.

3. Information We Collect

We may collect the following categories of information:

(a) Contact and Account Information
  • name
  • company name
  • email address
  • phone number
  • mailing address
  • account identifiers
  • user roles and permissions
  • account preferences
  • login timestamps
  • account access logs
(b) Identity, Verification, and Authority Information
  • importer, exporter, consignee, or business identity information
  • tax identification numbers, employer identification numbers, importer numbers, and related identifiers
  • information contained in powers of attorney, onboarding forms, and compliance documentation
  • information used to verify identity, authority, account access, or business affiliation
(c) Transaction and Service Information
  • shipment and transaction details
  • customs entry and compliance-related information
  • invoices, billing details, payment status, and transaction history
  • communications, instructions, approvals, and service requests
  • uploaded files and supporting documentation
(d) Technical and Usage Information
  • IP address
  • browser type
  • device information
  • operating system
  • Portal usage activity
  • cookies, session technologies, and similar technical information as needed for security and functionality
(e) Information Received From Others

We may receive information from:

  • you;
  • your employer or business;
  • authorized users on your account;
  • third-party facilitators you authorize;
  • freight forwarders, brokers, consultants, carriers, vendors, and service providers involved in the transaction; and
  • governmental or public sources, where appropriate.

4. How We Use Information

We may use personal information to:

  • create, manage, and secure Portal accounts;
  • verify identity, authority, account access, or business affiliation;
  • provide customs brokerage and related services;
  • process uploads, organize documentation, and manage workflows;
  • communicate with clients, authorized users, and representatives;
  • generate invoices, process payments, and maintain billing records;
  • prevent fraud, misuse, unauthorized access, and other harmful activity;
  • maintain operational logs, troubleshoot, improve, monitor, and secure the Portal and Services;
  • comply with legal, regulatory, customs, tax, security, confidentiality, and recordkeeping obligations;
  • establish, exercise, or defend legal claims; and
  • conduct internal business operations, analytics, quality control, and training.

We may use document-processing, OCR, and AI-assisted tools to extract, organize, validate, route, or otherwise process information contained in documents, communications, and submissions provided through the Portal or Services. These tools are used to support workflow efficiency, account administration, compliance support, and service delivery.

5. Customs Brokerage Confidentiality and Federal Recordkeeping

Company is a licensed U.S. customs brokerage and is subject to federal customs laws and regulations governing customs-business records, confidentiality, supervision, control, and retention.

Records pertaining to the business of clients serviced by a customs broker are treated as confidential and are handled consistent with applicable law. In general, such records and information connected with them may be disclosed only to the client, the client's surety on a particular entry, duly authorized U.S. government authorities, as otherwise required or permitted by law, pursuant to subpoena or court order, or when otherwise authorized in writing by the client. This confidentiality obligation is governed by applicable federal law and regulation, which controls over this Privacy Policy in the event of any conflict.

Company also retains and maintains records as required by applicable federal law and regulation, including customs broker recordkeeping requirements.

6. How We Disclose Information

We may disclose information as follows, subject to applicable legal, regulatory, and professional confidentiality obligations, including those governing customs brokers and customs-business records.

(a) At Client Direction or Authorization

We may disclose information to your authorized users and any third-party facilitators you authorize or permit to act on your behalf in connection with the Portal or Services.

(b) Email Chain Communications and Client-Directed Recipients

If Client, an Authorized User, or a Third Party Facilitator includes any third party in an email chain or other communication thread with Company, forwards Company communications to such third party, or continues to communicate with Company through a thread that includes such third party, Company may treat that conduct as authorization to communicate with that third party through that same thread and to share shipment-related and account-related information reasonably necessary to support the transaction or services.

If Client does not want a person included in further communications, Client must promptly notify Company in writing in the applicable email chain or by other clear written notice, and Company will have a reasonable opportunity to act on that notice.

(c) Service Providers and Subprocessors

We may disclose information to service providers and contractors that help us operate the Portal and provide the Services, including providers that support hosting, storage, authentication, communications, payment processing, security, fraud prevention, analytics, document processing, optical character recognition, artificial intelligence-assisted extraction, workflow automation, and related operational support. These parties process information on our behalf and are subject to contractual or legal obligations regarding the use of such information.

(d) Government Agencies and Legal Process

We may disclose information to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, other government agencies, regulatory authorities, law enforcement, courts, or other entities when necessary to provide services, comply with legal obligations, respond to lawful requests, or protect rights and safety.

(e) Business Transfers

We may disclose or transfer information in connection with a merger, acquisition, financing, restructuring, sale of assets, bankruptcy, or other business transaction involving all or part of our business.

(f) Protective Disclosures

We may disclose information when we believe in good faith that disclosure is necessary to:

  • comply with law, regulation, court order, subpoena, or governmental request;
  • enforce our agreements, policies, or legal rights;
  • investigate suspected fraud, misuse, or security issues; or
  • protect the rights, property, safety, or security of Company, our users, or others.

7. Cookies and Similar Technologies

We may use cookies, session tokens, log files, pixels, or similar technologies to operate the Portal, maintain login sessions, remember settings, support security, analyze usage, and improve performance.

You may be able to adjust cookie settings through your browser or device. However, disabling certain technologies may affect Portal functionality.

8. Data Security

We maintain reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect personal information against unauthorized access, use, alteration, or disclosure. However, no website, portal, server, transmission method, or electronic storage system can be guaranteed to be completely secure. Accordingly, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

9. Data Retention

We retain personal information for as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy, including to:

  • provide the Services;
  • maintain business and transaction records;
  • comply with legal, tax, customs, accounting, regulatory, confidentiality, and recordkeeping obligations;
  • resolve disputes;
  • enforce agreements; and
  • protect our legal interests.

Retention periods may vary depending on the type of information and the purpose for which it is used.

10. Your Choices and Rights

Depending on where you live and subject to applicable law, you may have certain rights regarding your personal information, which may include the right to:

  • confirm whether we process your personal information;
  • access or obtain a copy of certain personal information;
  • correct inaccuracies in certain personal information;
  • request deletion of certain personal information;
  • opt out of certain types of processing, where applicable; and
  • appeal certain privacy-rights decisions, where applicable.

To submit a privacy request, please contact us using the information in the "Contact Us" section below. We may take reasonable steps to verify your identity and authority before responding.

We may deny a request where permitted or required by law, including where an exemption applies or where we must retain information for legal, regulatory, customs, tax, security, fraud-prevention, confidentiality, identity-verification, or recordkeeping purposes.

Please note that requests for deletion are subject to applicable legal, regulatory, customs, security, verification, and recordkeeping requirements. Where permitted by law, we may delete personal information upon a valid request. However, we cannot delete information that we are required or permitted to retain under applicable law, regulation, legal process, customs broker obligations, fraud-prevention needs, security requirements, identity-verification requirements, dispute-resolution needs, contract-enforcement requirements, or applicable recordkeeping obligations.

11. California Privacy Notice

If you are a California resident, you may have rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act, as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act, if Company is subject to that law.

Where applicable, California residents may have rights to know, delete, correct, and limit certain uses of personal information.

Company does not sell personal information in the ordinary course of business. Company also does not knowingly sell or share personal information of minors under 16 years of age.

If Company becomes subject to additional California-specific notice or disclosure requirements, Company may provide supplemental California privacy notices.

12. Texas Privacy Notice

If you are a Texas resident, you may have rights under the Texas Data Privacy and Security Act, subject to applicable exceptions and exemptions. Those rights may include rights to confirm processing, access, correct, delete, obtain a copy of certain personal data, and appeal the denial of certain requests.

To exercise rights available under applicable Texas law, contact us using the information below.

13. Children's Privacy

The Portal and Services are intended for business and commercial use and are not directed to children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information directly from children under 13 through the Portal.

14. Third-Party Links and Services

The Portal may contain links to third-party websites, platforms, or services. We are not responsible for the privacy, security, or data practices of third parties not controlled by us. We encourage you to review their privacy policies separately.

15. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Any changes will be posted with an updated effective date. If we make material changes, we may provide additional notice through the Portal, by email, or by other reasonable means, where appropriate.

16. Contact Us

Mendiola Customs Brokerage
PO BOX 1317
McAllen, TX 78505
info@rgvcustoms.com
1-800-617-1540

17. Appeals

If applicable law gives you the right to appeal a privacy request decision, you may submit an appeal by contacting us at info@rgvcustoms.com with the subject line: Privacy Rights Appeal. We may request additional information necessary to verify your identity and evaluate the appeal. If your appeal is denied, you may contact the Texas Attorney General to submit a complaint at https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/consumer-protection.