Rep. Gabe Vasquez Calls on USPS to Restore Permanent, Reliable Mail Service in Mule Creek After Two Years Of Temporary Solutions

WASHINGTON, D.C. – On July 7, 2026, U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez (NM-02) sent a letter to the United States Postal Service (USPS) demanding immediate action and permanent solutions to restore reliable mail service for Mule Creek residents. After the Mule Creek postal office was damaged back in 2024, the landlord declined to make repairs, leaving USPS to locate a new property to continue operations.

While USPS quickly established a mobile office, this temporary solution has turned into a two-year saga as Mule Creek residents continue to lack a permanent postal office and must cope with the reduced hours and services offered by the mobile unit. Currently, residents can only access services at the mobile unit from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on weekdays, limiting accessibility and raising the threat of potential permanent closure. 

“It has been over two years since USPS has taken any action to help the residents of Mule Creek. This saga has taken too long,” wrote Vasquez in the letter. “That is why, I am requesting a detailed explanation as to why there has been a delay in finding a new postal office location and the restoration of full mail service in Mule Creek, as well as a timeline of an estimated reopening of the office.” 

Residents of rural communities like Mule Creek, especially seniors, veterans, and small businesses, depend on reliable USPS services. On average, residents in rural counties travel 8.2 miles to reach a post office, and in 10 percent of those counties, that distance exceeds more than 16.2 miles. If this location were to close, it would leave Mule Creek residents nearly 20 miles away from the nearest USPS location, forcing them to deal with major hurdles when paying bills, receiving life-saving prescriptions, sending packages, and receiving Social Security checks in areas where internet access may be limited.

Rep. Vasquez has continued to fight for essential, affordable, and reliable postal services in rural communities.

• Since the beginning of this Administration, Vasquez has opposed efforts to privatize the postal services.
• In January, Vasquez sent a letter raising concerns about USPS changes to postmarking mail, which could unfairly penalize New Mexicans who rely on USPS to send time-sensitive mail such as tax returns, rent payments, and Social Security or Medicare documents.
• In March, Vasquez led a letter opposing USPS proposal to impose a temporary “fuel surcharge" on consumers, passing the cost of the Administration’s reckless war in Iran and spiking gas prices on to Americans. 

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