The federal government has begun deploying a new floating barrier system along the Rio Grande designed to deter illegal crossings, with U.S. Customs and Border Protection describing the initiative as the start of a larger 500-mile deterrent effort and officials calling the buoys an effective tool to deny access to the river between the United States and Mexico.
The operation kicked off this week as CBP began placing large, orange cylindrical buoys in the Rio Grande. Border Patrol Chief Mike Banks called the devices “game changers,” and officials released footage showing the buoys being set into the water along the international line.
The new federal buoys are different from an earlier, shorter string of round spheres placed by Texas in 2023. These CBP units are large cylinders linked closely along a ratchet system so they roll when someone tries to climb on them, making them a physical deterrent as well as a visible barrier.
Chief Banks outlined how the redesigned cylinders perform compared with the earlier discs, describing improved flotation and greater control. He emphasized that as someone attempts to mount the buoys, they roll backward, preventing use as a foothold and reinforcing the barrier’s effectiveness.
We’ve created a way to create the same deterrence, or temporary deterrence, without having the disc in there. And so the system still works the same as far as how it sits on a ratchet system. As you try to climb up onto the buoys, they roll backwards, preventing you from climbing on. And then we’ve also found that using the more cylindrical instead of the circular, we get better flotation, which helps us maintain better control of the buoys. So what we’ve done is, over the last year, improved the buoy system that was being placed in the river in Texas under the state of Texas. They function the exact same way.
Officials say the federal plan will ultimately extend roughly 500 miles where geography and logistics allow. The buoys are designed to work with other layers of border security rather than as a standalone solution, combining physical barriers, personnel, and technology to reduce illegal entry points along waterways.
Homeland Security leadership framed the buoys as part of a broader border security agenda being implemented by the current administration. Those involved have highlighted that the devices are manufactured domestically and installed in coordination with state partners and international water authorities to ensure durability and long-term function.
Secretary Kristi Noem described the barriers as American-made and built by a family-owned company in Texas, and noted coordination with Texas authorities and the U.S. International Boundary and Water Commission for proper installation. Officials emphasized longevity and the goal of reducing crossings, smuggling, and human trafficking at river locations where the buoys will be deployed.
Public and political reactions have been mixed, but supporters argue the buoys are a practical, immediate deterrent that complements broader policy measures. Proponents point to prior, localized deployments in Texas that they say demonstrated deterrent effects, and they want the federal rollout to replicate that success across more of the border.
There is a clear political angle to the project’s revival: the buoy barrier concept was reportedly advanced during the previous administration, but the initiative stalled when priorities changed. Border officials have said contracts were in place earlier but were not pursued by the subsequent administration, and now the program is back in motion under current leadership.
Banks said the buoy barrier was initially planned during Trump’s first administration, but when former President Joe Biden took office, everything stopped.
The border patrol chief explained that the contracts were signed and they were prepared to “start deploying” the buoys, but the Biden administration decided they weren’t going to undertake that kind of infrastructure.
Banks said after he left the border patrol, he went to work for Republican Texas Governor Greg Abbott as the Texas Border Czar. They worked on the buoy project, but just in the Lone Star state.
He said it worked great as a deterrent, and so this new barrier project will get underway soon.
On the ground, CBP intends the buoys to work alongside ICE operations and local enforcement efforts aimed at identifying and removing individuals committing illegal entry. The federal approach underscores a strategy of preventing reentry while enforcement teams address criminal activity inland.
Editor’s Note: Thanks to President Trump, illegal immigration into our great country has virtually stopped. Despite the radical left’s lies, new legislation wasn’t needed to secure our border, just a new president.
For now, the buoy rollout represents a visible, physical effort to control crossings at the waterline and to signal that certain border routes will no longer be easy avenues for smuggling or unauthorized entry. Officials will monitor performance, tweak placement, and expand deployment where the barriers prove most effective.
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