Despite repeated promises to build a big beautiful wall, Donald Trump has not expanded the fence along the United States/Mexico border. There have, however, been additions made to the wall that already exists.
In a September visit to the San Diego border, the President claimed the wall was a, “virtually impenetrable world class security system.” According to a new report from the Washington Post, smugglers have been cutting holes into the new sections and easily entering into the United States.
Nick Miroff from the Washington Post writes that the smuggling operations have been cost effective. Anonymous border agents tell the reporter, “The breaches have been made using a popular cordless household tool known as a reciprocating saw that retails at hardware stores for as little as $100. When fitted with specialized blades, the saws can slice through one of the barrier’s steel-and-concrete bollards in a matter of minutes.”
The construction of the wall also allows the smugglers to hide their work from border patrol. The piece continues, “In the San Diego area, smugglers have figured out how to cut the bollards and return them to their original positions, disguising the breaches in the hope that they will go unnoticed and can be reused for repeated passage.”
Ronald Vitiello, who previously served as the head of United States Border Patrol said the new bollards were the best the organization could do. “The bollards are not the most evolved design; they are the most evolved that we could pay for,” he said. “We never said they would be an end-all, be-all.”