When Taco Bell expanded into Mexico in the 1990s and 2000s, it failed miserably. The Laredo-based chain hopes to win people over, but it’s still getting flack over its lack of authenticity.

Lara immigrated to Laredo from Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, at the age of sixteen. ... In 2016 he opened a new taco truck, El Puesto, in Laredo. Lara said his friends called him dumb.