Coast Guard surges forces to Rio Grande in border crackdown

MISSION, Texas (ValleyCentral) — Two days after Border Report first broke the story on Coast Guard operations on the Rio Grande, officials have released new details about Operation River Wall.

Captain Christopher Cumberland, Commander of Coast Guard Forces Rio Grande, says the mission focuses on law enforcement patrols up and down the river.

“We are conducting standard Coast Guard law enforcement patrols looking for nefarious activity,” Cumberland said. “If we see an illegal immigrant crossing the river, whether it’s on a raft, walking, or swimming, we will pull them out.”

Captain Christopher Cumberland, Commander of Coast Guard Forces Rio Grande, says the mission focuses on law enforcement patrols up and down the river.

“We are conducting standard Coast Guard law enforcement patrols looking for nefarious activity,” Cumberland said. “If we see an illegal immigrant crossing the river, whether it’s on a raft, walking, or swimming, we will pull them out.”

The operation is now on day 13 with more than 100 Coast Guard boats and hundreds of personnel patrolling the waters of the Rio Grande. Video shows boats cutting through the river as crews prepare for patrol—a show of federal authority along the southern border.

“The threat out here is evolving and it’s always changing,” said Cumberland. “Our adversaries are using new techniques, new procedures, new technology. To combat that, we’re surging forces onto the Rio Grande to provide more presence and deter illegal activity.”

Operation River Wall covers all 260 miles of the Rio Grande Valley, in coordination with Border Patrol, Air and Marine Operations, the Department of War, and Texas Military Forces. In the first 12 days, officials report twenty apprehensions.

“In one instance, we received a call that there was a potential illegal crossing in one area," Cumberland explained. "Our boats responded to that area and were able to see where the illegal immigration worked their way off the bank and got the off tail of it, so we blocked their ability to go back into Mexico and called Border Patrol, so that the agents could apprehend the individuals that were there at that point on land.”

Cumberland says crews are still learning the river’s layout and the challenges that come with it.

“A little bit of the Texas heat, but in general, the river conditions are really different," Cumberland said. "The river levels goes down, and what could be good water one day could be bad the next, so a challenging environment is probably the biggest thing."

When the operation was announced, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem described it as a long-term effort. Cumberland echoed that statement, saying the Coast Guard will remain until they have full control of the southern border.

“Operation River Wall is going to be an enduring mission where the Coast Guard is here until we get one hundred percent control of the southern border,” he said.

Cumberland also confirmed that U.S. forces are in constant communication with Mexican authorities, sharing intelligence across the border.

When asked about the 20 apprehensions, Cumberland said details are limited but confirmed the group included women and children. No drugs or weapons were found.