Noem approves expediting waterborne barriers in Rio Grande

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem on Thursday signed waivers to expedite construction of key barriers in the Rio Grande River to prevent illicit crossings.

The barrier in question will stretch 17 miles in the U.S. Border Patrol's Rio Grande Valley Sector, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said in a press release.

CBP further highlighted what it called a "capability gap" in that area with respect to the agency's ability to intercept illegal crossings, especially drug smugglers.

The effort comes after Texas fought a lengthy legal battle with the Biden administration over its deployment of a buoy barrier in the same river to deter illegal crossings into the state.

Speaking on the "John Solomon Reports" podcast this week, Assistant DHS Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin told this reporter that "[w]e're also looking at those buoys as well, preventing anyone from coming over, from swimming over in shallow water."