The new sections of the border wall built by former President Donald Trump to prevent the illegal crossing of migrants and drugs have been circumvented by traffickers 3,272 times in the last three years, according to a report by the Office of Customs and Border Protection (CBP, for its acronym in English) obtained by The Washington Post, generating a cost for the federal government of 2.6 million dollars in fiscal years from 2019 to 2021
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CPB records show the barrier's limitations in meeting Trump's goal of curbing illegal immigration.
During his tenure, 458 miles were built, mainly in California, Arizona and New Mexico.
Democrat Joe Biden froze the project after his arrival at the White House in 2021.
Border Patrol agents apprehend migrants who came through a breach in the wall from Mexico in Yuma, ArizonaJohn Moore/Getty Images
In 2019, when the aforementioned newspaper reported the first criminals crossing the wall, Trump responded that the barrier was "very powerful" and had vulnerabilities.
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According to the CBP report, in fiscal years 2019 to 2021, smugglers used tools available at hardware stores, angle grinders and demolition saws, to break the steel bars of the fence, which are between 18 and 30 feet high. .
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The Washington Post counted 71 repaired barriers along the 25-mile stretch between Naco and Douglas in Arizona, where damaged bars were repaired with a steel connector.
The operation to circumvent the security of the wall seems simple: after breaking the barriers near the ground, they push the rest of the structure, which remains hanging in the air, allowing the passage of people and even large vehicles such as trucks.
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The work is usually done at night.
After destroying the structure they hide the hole using a putty with the color of the barrier, which makes it difficult to recognize which parts have been damaged and
allows the holes to be used multiple times.
CPB officials said most places targeted by smugglers lack surveillance cameras or sensors, preventing a quick response.
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"No structure is impenetrable, so we will continue to work to focus resources on modern and effective border management measures to improve security," Luis Miranda, a CBP spokesman, told the publication.
California is the sector most affected by these violations: 1,867 were registered in the El Centro area;
and in San Diego another 866.
People who live in the area told the aforementioned newspaper that, in the sectors where there are no holes in the bars, people use objects to jump over.
In 2020, images of several migrants crossing the wall with the help of iron ladders that can be obtained for five dollars were known.
