Cochrane Global has confirmed to Newsweek that it is the company that produced controversial floating barriers, fitted with metal saws, used by authorities in Texas in a bid to stop illegal migration across the Rio Grande River from Mexico.
The Department of Justice is suing the state of Texas and Governor Greg Abbott over the barriers, which it claims pose threats to navigation and present humanitarian concerns. Abbott has vowed to fight the lawsuit, pledging to go all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court if necessary.
In June, law enforcement apprehended 99,545 people on suspicion of illegally crossing the U.S.-Mexico border, a 42 percent fall from May and the first time the figure has been below 100,000 since February 2021. Republicans have been fiercely critical of the Biden administration over the scale of illegal immigration, while polling conducted for Newsweek in July found that 62 percent of voters don't think the U.S. has control over its borders.
Speaking to Newsweek by phone, a Cochrane spokesperson confirmed that the floating barriers in the Rio Grande are the company's products, adding that it is "not really commenting at the moment."
The spokesperson went on to recommend a YouTube interview published by the Texas Public Policy Foundation with Rodney Scott, former head of Border Patrol and now a senior fellow with the conservative-leaning think tank.
Scott claimed that the main reason the river barriers were introduced, after his time leading Border Patrol, was to save lives.
"We're looking at how to save lives, how do we prevent people getting to this situation in the first place and how do we stop these boats from being able to quickly enter the United States without putting the people on the boats at an increased risk," he said. "Let's prevent the crime rather than reacting to it afterwards, and that's what the buoy barriers allowed us to do."
Scott praised Abbott for deploying the barriers.
"I believe he decided to take the next step because this administration continues to refuse to try to slow down the flow and the criminal activity going across the border," he said. "They won't even talk about the criminal elements associated with this mass migration.
"The governor has done more than any other state, way more than the federal government, to try to protect all of America by stopping this criminal activity."
Last week, Mexican authorities said two bodies had been recovered from the Rio Grande, including one stuck on one of the floating barriers.
However, Andrew Mahaleris, a spokesman for Abbott, told Newsweek the claims that the barriers have caused any death are wrong.
"These marine barriers help deter illegal river crossings, redirecting migrants to use one of the 29 international bridges on the Texas-Mexico border where they can safely and legally cross," Mahaleris said. "No one drowns on a bridge."
Appalled by the ongoing cruel and inhumane tactics employed by @GovAbbott at the Texas border. The situation's reality is unsettling as these buoys' true danger and brutality come to light. We must stop this NOW! pic.twitter.com/XPc4C8Tnl0
— Rep. Sylvia Garcia (@RepSylviaGarcia) August 8, 2023There has been particular outrage over the circular saws fitted to the floating barriers between each orange buoy. On Tuesday, House Democrat Sylvia Garcia tweeted close-up video of the buoys on land, adding: "Appalled by the ongoing cruel and inhumane tactics employed by Governor Abbott at the Texas border. The situation's reality is unsettling as these buoys' true danger and brutality come to light. We must stop this NOW!"
The post was widely shared, receiving more than 3,700 retweets and 1.7 million views on X, formerly Twitter.
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