The U.S. government has reactivated and expanded the installation of a security buoy system on the Rio Grande, in the stretch between Brownsville, Texas, and Matamoros, Tamaulipas, as part of a strategy to deter irregular migrant crossings and illegal trafficking along the southern border.
These floating barriers were initially deployed at the end of last year and reactivated at the beginning of 2026. The new orange buoys form a continuous line anchored to the riverbed, creating what has been described as a difficult-to-cross “floating wall.”
The formal launch of this new phase of the project was confirmed this week by U.S. federal authorities in Cameron County, Texas, following an official visit by Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem to the city of Brownsville.
According to U.S. authorities, the system consists of security buoys continuously deployed along the Rio Grande, designed to create a physical barrier that hinders the crossing of people and the passage of vessels used for trafficking people and illicit goods.
The area between Matamoros and Brownsville is considered one of the busiest migration routes in the region.
This strategy is part of a broader plan implemented by President Donald Trump’s administration, which includes the deployment of more than 800 kilometers of floating barriers along the Rio Grande, with the goal of strengthening border control and curbing irregular migration.
Source: eldiariodecoahuila
