Construction Begins for Gates to Border Wall


11/30/2018

BROWNSVILLE, Texas - Construction of the border wall begins along the Rio Grande Valley Sector. In this case only the gates are going up. Residents say it will help decrease drug smuggling happening through their backyards.

The U.S. Border Patrol RGV Sector was awarded a contract of about $4 million to construct border wall gates for gaps. The area of responsibility for these gates are the responsibility of the Harlingen, Fort Brown, and Brownsville Border Patrol Stations.

The RGV Sector continues being the busiest in the nation. Last year over 137,000 undocumented immigrants were apprehended and over 260,000 pounds of marijuana were seized. Residents say the gates will minimize drug smuggling across the border.

"If it'll stop some drugs from going through it's good. We don't need more drugs in the United States anymore and stop the bad people from coming across, the MS -13 stuff like that we don't need them. There used to be groups of 60 and 70 going through my fields in the middle of the night. Now I don't notice it anymore when they put the cameras up. That's what stopped the traffic because people don't know if they're being watched or not."

CBP says the gates will serve as a persistent impediment to smuggling organizations, while still allowing river access to property owners.

Martin Figueroa's residence is located right in front of the border wall. He says undocumented immigrants tend to cross through. "If it's for the good of the community ... I say it's a good idea but I've had people jump the wall onto my roof and they've never done any harm to me. I'm not going to judge them like the President that says they're criminals.”

It is still unknown when the project will be completed. What is known is the contract has an option for an additional four gates.

The first stretch of border wall construction started in Calfiornia two weeks ago. 2019 is expected to be a busy year for the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers as full construction begins in Hidalgo and Starr counties.

https://www.kveo.com/news/local-news/construction-begins-for-gates-to-border-wall/1630472556