The Trump administration is deploying more resources to the Rio Grande in its ongoing effort to clamp down on illegal immigration, drug smuggling, and other criminal activity at the Southern Border.
Dubbed “Operation River Wall,” the effort will involve the U.S. Coast Guard — beginning with more than 100 boats and hundreds of personnel — patrolling the Rio Grande to bolster national security, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
DHS called it an “unprecedented mobilization” and said the Coast Guard will surge response boats, shallow watercraft, command and control assets, and tactical teams to secure the southern border further and Make America Safe Again.
The Rio Grande is an international border that extends for roughly 1,250 miles between the United States and Mexico. It flows from below El Paso, Texas, to the Gulf of Mexico.
Under Coast Guard Forces Rio Grande, these military assets will control, secure and defend the U.S border along approximately 260 miles of the Rio Grande Valley. This region is also where President Donald Trump has declared a national emergency.
The Coast Guard has the unique capabilities, equipment and experience needed to secure this complex environment, DHS said in a news release.
“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,” Secretary Kristi Noem said in a statement. “Now, Coast Guard Forces Rio Grande and Operation River Wall will be a force multiplier in defending against illegal immigration.”
Deputy Security Troy Edgar also shared the news via social media, adding the USCG and DHS are “flooding the waters at the Rio Grande. Every day we continue to make sure President Trump’s already historic southern border is that much more secure.”
.@USCG and @DHSgov are flooding the waters at the Rio Grande. Everyday we continue to make sure President Trump’s already historic southern border is that much more secure. https://t.co/reC7pRnqhn
— Deputy Secretary Troy Edgar (@DepSec_Edgar) October 20, 2025
Operation River Wall builds on the Trump administration’s multi-agency effort to stop illegal crossings and make long-term investments in border security.
Officials also recently announced $4.5 billion in contracts for Smart Wall construction that will add 230 miles of barriers and nearly 400 miles of technology along the U.S.-Mexico border.
The USCG is the lead federal agency for drug interdictions on the high seas. Members protect the marine transportation system and secure the maritime border, which involves combating drug smuggling along U.S. coastal borders and in international waters.
“The U.S. Coast is the best in the world at tactical boat operations and maritime interdiction at sea, along coasts, and in riverine environments,” said Adm. Kevin E. Lunday, Acting Commandant of the Coast Guard. “Through Operation River Wall, the Coast Guard is controlling the U.S. southern border in the Rio Grande River in eastern Texas.”
The Coast Guard is leading operations, working with U.S. Border Patrol and the Department of War under U.S. Northern Command. The effort will focus on the Rio Grande River in Cameron and Hidalgo counties in eastern Texas, extending to the sea.
USCG also shared the news on social media and in its own news release.
“The Rio Grande is a complex environment prone to illegal activity and threats to our national security,” USCG shared on X. “Our tactical boat crews are the best in the world, and uniquely prepared to meet the evolving threats on our southern border. We own the rivers.”
@USCG is taking decisive action to control our southern border along the Rio Grande River. We’ve launched #OperationRiverWall and continue to deploy additional forces to control approximately 260 miles of U.S. border along the Rio Grande River.
The Rio Grande is a complex… pic.twitter.com/OnkrdYN5d4
— U.S. Coast Guard (@USCG) October 20, 2025
DHS said the Trump Administration is using every tool at its disposal to keep the southwest border secure. Along with deterring illegal crossers, Trump officials are going after the drug cartels to keep illicit drugs out of American communities.
In late September, U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced that seizures of deadly drugs — including fentanyl, cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine and marijuana — increased substantially from July to August.
This includes a 37% increase in methamphetamine seizures and amounts to just over 55,000 pounds of drugs seized in August — a month that also saw the third-highest monthly total of drug seizures under the second Trump Administration.
“Likewise, since President Trump took office, fentanyl trafficking at the southern border is down by 56% compared to the same period in 2024,” DHS said. “Cartels are increasingly desperate to keep doing business, but the Trump Administration is stopping their deadly operations.”
For five straight months, the Trump administration has released zero illegal aliens into the country. DHS recently reported that in Fiscal Year 2025, U.S. Border Patrol had its lowest southwest border apprehensions since 1970.
The river has long been a popular route for illegal border crossings and drug cartels to move narcotics. During the Biden-era border crisis, YouTuber Peter Santenello joined the United Cajun Navy on the river and showed how easy it was to cross the river on a hand-pulled ferry to enter Mexico.
