Elsa Hull stands along the Rio Grande in San Ygnacio, where Customs and Border Protection plans to install cylindrical border buoys. The Rio Grande Valley is known for its vast diversity of birds, including at the Salineño Wildlife Refuge in Starr County. “There has been no comprehensive information from the feds,” said Tricia Cortez, executive director of the Rio Grande International Study Center in Laredo. Tompkins’ report cautions that the buoys could change the Rio Grande in “unpredictable, damaging, and potentially catastrophic ways.”He explained that the Rio Grande picks up trash, debris and uprooted trees during floods. During a rally in Brownsville along the border wall on Feb. 26, speakers voiced opposition to border buoys in the Rio Grande.

Source: Washington Post March 23, 2026 10:10 UTC