SerpApi.Org
The state’s round buoy chain in Eagle Pass, Texas, has been dislodged by recent flooding in addition to the approximately 120 buoys drifting downstream on the Rio Grande toward the Laredo area, according to U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar.
Cuellar posted a video Friday afternoon showing the drifting buoys moving downstream near Eagle Pass, referring to them as the “orange UFOs.”
“In addition to the cylinder-shaped federal buoys moving downstream, the round state buoy chain in Eagle Pass has been dislodged by the recent flooding,” Cuellar said. “If they are not recovered, they could reach Laredo within the next 30 to 36 hours.”
Laredo issued a local disaster declaration Friday morning because of rising Rio Grande water levels and debris moving downstream toward the area.
During a press conference Friday morning, Laredo officials warned residents to stay away from the Rio Grande after approximately 120 border buoys were reported moving downstream toward the area.
Mayor Dr. Victor Trevino said the buoys could pose a risk to international bridges, emergency personnel and anyone near the river.
Cuellar said he had warned the Department of Homeland Security earlier this year that flooding could dislodge the buoy systems.
“I support strong border security, but it must account for the communities, infrastructure and economic activity along the border,” Cuellar said. “The fact of the matter is border walls and buoy systems can have serious impacts on public safety, drinking water, trade and daily life in our border communities.”
Cuellar said he is in contact with local, state and federal officials and is making calls to DHS to help ensure the buoys are recovered.
Earlier Friday, U.S. Customs and Border Protection said contractor-controlled cylinder-shaped federal buoys had been staged near Shelby Park in Eagle Pass before floodwaters swept them into the Rio Grande. The agency said those buoys were not already deployed and anchored in the river and that it is working with its contractor to retrieve them.
