EAGLE PASS, Texas, July 17 (Our Texas Times) — Travelers using the Eagle Pass crossings should check bridge status before heading out: more than 100 federal border-security buoys broke free in the flooded Rio Grande on Thursday, drifted downstream and briefly shut two international bridges between Eagle Pass, Texas, and Mexico.
The National Weather Service forecast cited in the reporting said the Rio Grande began rising Thursday and was expected to crest at moderate flood stage around 7 p.m. Friday. That rising water helped push debris downstream and forced local officials to act quickly as the buoys moved toward the city.
What happened at Eagle Pass?
Eagle Pass temporarily closed transit at the two bridges while officials determined whether the drifting buoys posed a threat. City Manager Homero Balderas said the buoys did not immediately endanger the bridges. The closures lasted about three hours and the crossings reopened just after midnight Friday.
Balderas said the bridges are a major part of the city’s economy, saying they are “the number one funding source for the city.”
What are these buoys?
The floating barriers are part of a federal border-security effort on the Rio Grande. A U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesperson said a government contractor was responsible for the buoys staged at Shelby Park in Eagle Pass and was working with the agency to retrieve them.
CBP said the buoys were not ready to be deployed or anchored in the river. The agency has said waterborne barriers are meant to create a safer border environment for agents and deter migrants from trying to cross through dangerous waterways.
Where did the buoys go?
State and local officials told Texas Rep. Eddie Morales Jr. that the buoys were carried downstream from the Quemado area. The reporting also said the buoys had been staged at Shelby Park in Eagle Pass, and officials have not fully reconciled the route they took before breaking free.
What other precautions were taken?
No injuries or structural damage to the bridges have been reported. In Laredo, officials activated the city’s emergency operations center, tracked the drifting buoys with drones and warned that the debris could eventually threaten the city’s four international bridges.
Officials said one or more bridges could be closed if the debris became dangerous. Residents were also told not to approach or touch the barriers.
What should people crossing the border know?
For now, the main takeaway is simple: bridge conditions can change quickly when the river rises. Anyone planning to cross in Eagle Pass or nearby should confirm current bridge status before leaving, especially while the Rio Grande remains near flood stage and debris continues moving downstream.
