Border Patrol Adds Another Layer of Security in the Rio Grande at the Texas Border [WATCH]

The Trump administration on Tuesday began installing a floating buoy barrier in the Rio Grande, the international boundary between the United States and Mexico, marking a new approach to border security aimed at preventing illegal crossings before they occur.

The Washington Examiner was the only news outlet present in Brownsville, Texas, on Tuesday morning as contractors lowered the first floating cylinders into the river.

The project involves the placement of buoy barriers across 538 miles of the Rio Grande, with the initial phase including a 17-mile stretch near Brownsville.

According to Border Patrol Chief Michael Banks, the effort represents a shift in how federal law enforcement approaches border security by focusing on deterrence at the point of entry.

Banks said the administration’s objective is to stop illegal crossings altogether, rather than processing individuals after they have already entered the country.

“This is a huge game changer,” Banks said in an interview as crews installed the first three buoys.

“We want to take away that initial entry point, right? You can’t come here and make false asylum claims if you can’t get here. And so our intent is to stop anything from crossing this border illegally.”

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During President Donald Trump’s first term, the administration completed more than 450 miles of border wall projects on land.

In southeast Texas, however, much of the wall was constructed hundreds of feet to more than a mile north of the river because flood-prone terrain near the Rio Grande made traditional wall construction unsuitable.

Under federal law, Border Patrol agents are required to apprehend and detain individuals who illegally cross the border and either release them into the country or place them into removal proceedings.

The buoy system is designed to prevent those illegal crossings from happening in the first place.

Once fully installed, the buoy barrier could reduce the number of people entering federal custody, being detained, appearing in immigration court, and becoming involved in deportation proceedings.

Banks said Border Patrol currently has authorization for 538 miles of buoy barriers funded through congressional appropriations made in 2025. Of that total, 130 miles have already been contracted, including the Brownsville segment.

Brownsville sits several miles west of where the Rio Grande empties into the Gulf of America.

For decades, the region has recorded more illegal immigrant arrests than any other sector along the nearly 2,000-mile U.S.-Mexico border.

Banks said the buoy system is designed to address safety and enforcement concerns simultaneously.

The buoys are anchored deep into the riverbed to prevent individuals from swimming underneath them.

Each buoy includes tamper-detection mechanisms that alert agents if the barrier is breached.

A land-based wall remains in place behind the river barrier, serving as a secondary line of defense.

“These are 15-feet-long buoys, and they connect to each other, and they sit on a ratchet system,” Banks said.

“So what happens when someone tries to climb onto that buoy? They can’t. It rolls back on them, right? It prevents them [from] coming in.”

The concept of a floating barrier predates the current installation.

In January 2023, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott appointed Banks, a recently retired Border Patrol agent, to oversee the state’s border security efforts as illegal crossings increased during the Biden-Harris administration to as many as 250,000 arrests per month.

Border Patrol officials had explored a water-based barrier during Trump’s first term, but the plans did not move forward after former President Joe Biden opposed continuing physical barrier projects.

In 2023, Texas independently financed a 1,000-foot buoy barrier between Eagle Pass, Texas, and Piedras Negras, Coahuila.

During that period, the area experienced a rise in illegal crossings, rescues, and drownings.

Banks and Abbott met with Trump in February 2024 during a visit to Eagle Pass, where they presented the buoy system.

“[Trump] got to witness them firsthand,” Banks said in a December interview.

“He’s been impressed with them.”

Trump appointed Banks as head of Border Patrol in January.

Banks said Trump is “very aware” of the buoy initiative and supports expanding it along the river.

Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-TX), whose district includes Eagle Pass, said the buoy system is intended to prevent illegal crossings and reduce drownings.

Funding for the buoy project was included in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act last summer, with nearly all House and Senate Republicans voting in favor.

No Democrats supported the funding.

The ranking Democrat on the House Homeland Security Committee said the money should be used elsewhere.

“Obviously, the money for this vanity project would be better spent reducing healthcare premiums for Americans,” Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS) said in a statement.