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HARLINGEN, Texas (Border Report) — The Department of Homeland Security announced Friday it has awarded $4.5 billion worth of contracts to build 230 new miles of border barrier along the Southwest border, including 80 miles of “waterborne barrier” to be installed in the Rio Grande in South Texas.
About 17 miles of waterborne barrier will be built in Cameron County south of the border town of Brownsville at a cost of $96.1 million. The barrier, which is expected to be constructed toward the Gulf and just south of SpaceX, was awarded to BCCG Joint Venture, of Montgomery, Alabama, DHS said.
Contracts for two other waterborne projects — a 23-mile long project, and another 40 miles long — also were awarded to BCCG Joint Venture. The barrier is to be built in the Del Rio Sector near Eagle Pass, Texas.
It is unclear if the waterborne barrier will include buoys, like the Texas-built buoys put in the Rio Grande in Eagle Pass in July 2023. That string of 1,000 buoys cost the State of Texas $1 million as part of Operation Lone Star.
Border Report has asked DHS if the buoys are part of the plan and this story will be updated if information is received.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem this summer signed environmental waivers to expedite construction for border wall projects.
The waterborne barrier is part of a total of 10 border barrier contracts issued in September through funds provided by Congress through President Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill.
DHS officials say the new contracts are part of what they’re calling a “Smart Wall” along the Southwest border with Mexico, that includes technology upgrades, patrol roads, lights, cameras and advanced detection systems, along with 30-foot-tall steel bollard walls.
“The Smart Wall means more miles of barriers, more technology, and more capability for our agents on the ground. This is how you take control of the border,” U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott said in a statement.
The new contracts awarded include:
- San Diego 1 Project – Awarded to BCCG Joint Venture for $483.4 million for 9 miles of new Smart Wall and approximately 52 miles of system attributes in the Border Patrol’s San Diego Sector.
- El Centro 1 Project – Awarded to Fisher Sand & Gravel Company, for $574 million for the construction of 8 miles of new primary Smart Wall and the installation of approximately 63 miles of system attributes in the Border Patrol’s El Centro and San Diego Sectors in Southern California.
- Yuma 1 Project – Awarded to Barnard Spencer Joint Venture for $199.5 million for 60 miles to be built in the Border Patrol’s Yuma Sector in Arizona and California.
- Tucson 1 Project – Awarded to BCCG Joint Venture for $607 million for 23 miles of new secondary border wall and approximately 66 miles of system attributes in the Border Patrol’s Tucson and Yuma Sectors in Arizona.
- El Paso 1 Project – Awarded to BCCG Joint Venture for $155.1 million to replace 7 miles of barrier in the Santa Teresa Area of Responsibility with new Smart Wall and the completion of approximately 22 miles of system attributes in the Border Patrol’s El Paso Sector in New Mexico.
- El Paso 2 Project – Awarded to Barnard Spencer Joint Venture for $578.9 million for the construction of approximately 23 miles of new Smart Wall and approximately 81 miles of system attributes in USBP’s El Paso Sector in New Mexico.
- El Paso 3 Project – Awarded to BCCG Joint Venture for $850.3 million for the construction of approximately 42 miles of new primary Smart Wall, approximately 6 miles of new secondary border wall and 46 miles of system attributes in the El Paso Sector.
- Del Rio 1 Project – Awarded to BCCG Joint Venture for $565 million for the construction of approximately 22 miles of new primary Smart Wall (which includes replacing approximately two miles of old barrier) and 40 miles of waterborne barrier system in Border Patrol’s Del Rio Sector, in Eagle Pass.
- Del Rio 2 Project – Awarded to BCCG Joint Venture for $364.3 million for 10 miles of new primary Smart Wall, 23 miles of waterborne barrier system, and installation of 10 miles of system attributes in the Del Rio Sector.
DHS announced that Noem also issued two new waivers for approximately 9 miles of Smart Wall in the San Diego and 30 miles of new Smart Wall in New Mexico within the El Paso Sector.
Sandra Sanchez can be reached at SSanchez@BorderReport.com.