Photos reveal US Coast Guard presence in Mission as part of 'Operation River Wall'

MISSION, Texas (ValleyCentral) — The United States Coast Guard on Thursday made its presence known at Anzalduas Park in Mission as part of Operation River Wall.

The action is part of the Department of Homeland Security's step to secure the Rio Grande against illegal immigration, narco-terrorists, and other criminal activity at the U.S. Southern border, according to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, who announced the plans on Monday.

Noem says the mobilization of the Coast Guard will increase response of boats, shallow watercraft, command and control assets, and tactical teams with over 100 boats and hundreds of personnel.

The assets and personnel will patrol approximately 260 miles of the Rio Grande Valley, according to a news release from DHS.

"President Trump delivered the most secure southern border in U.S. history in record time, and now, our goal is to make sure it stays that way for the long run," Secretary Noem said in a statement. "The men and women of the U.S. Coast Guard are experts at defending America's maritime borders, they have been doing that with honor, respect and devotion to duty since 1790. Now, Coast Guard Forces Rio Grande and Operation River Wall will be a force multiplier in defending against illegal immigration."

DHS said in Fiscal Year 2025, U.S. Border Patrol had its lowest southwest border apprehensions since 1970.

On Oct. 10, the Trump administration announced $4.5 billion worth of contracts to construct 230 miles of "Smart Wall" — a hybrid border security system that combines steel barriers, waterborne barriers, patrol roads, lights, cameras, and advanced detection technology to bolster defense at the southern border.