US to deploy more than 500 miles of border barriers in waterways

The US will deploy 500 miles (804 kilometers) of border barriers in waterways, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Wednesday.

"The Department of Homeland Security and US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) are deploying over 500 miles of border barrier in the form of water barriers," Noem told reporters in Brownsville, Texas, adjacent to the Mexican border.

She said more than 130 miles of barriers are already under contract and ready for deployment.

The barriers consist of floating buoys measuring 4 to 5 feet (152.4 centimeters) in diameter and up to 15 feet long, Noem said.

CBP is working closely with Texas and the US International Boundary Water Commission to ensure proper installation and longevity of the buoy barriers, she noted.

Barries "will make it much harder for illegal aliens to drug smugglers and human traffickers to cross the river and other waterways where they will be deployed," Noem said.

She said the barriers will create a safer environment for agents on patrol and secure waterways not only for protecting Americans but also to save the lives of undocumented immigrants by deterring them from attempting to cross the "treacherous water."