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LetMyPeopleVote

(145,168 posts)
Sat Mar 5, 2022, 10:07 PM Mar 2022

Evidence shows Trump's border wall was an embarrassing failure

TFG's border wall is a flop which is why it is so sad that Gret Abbott is still spending Texas state money on this flop




But perhaps most important was evidence that smugglers repeatedly sawed through the barriers with commercially available, off-the-shelf power tools that cost as little as $100. The Washington Post advanced this story in striking ways yesterday.

Mexican smuggling gangs have sawed through new segments of border wall 3,272 times over the past three years, according to unpublished U.S. Customs and Border Protection maintenance records obtained by The Washington Post under the Freedom of Information Act.

To be sure, we learned in 2019 that this was happening. What we didn’t know was how frequently this was happening. We’re not talking about a handful of instances in which a few criminals used power tools; the Customs and Border Protection evidence points to literally thousands of such incidents during the 2019 to 2021 fiscal years.

The Post added that after smugglers breached the wall with inexpensive power tools, they created gaps “wide enough for people and narcotics to pass through.” The article went on to note, “After smuggling crews cut through, they often disguise the breaches with tinted putty, making it difficult for agents to recognize which bollards have been compromised. The smugglers can return again and again to the site until the damage is detected, using the breach like a secret entrance.”
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Evidence shows Trump's border wall was an embarrassing failure (Original Post) LetMyPeopleVote Mar 2022 OP
Is the Texas national guard still at the border ? left-of-center2012 Mar 2022 #1
Yes LetMyPeopleVote Mar 2022 #2
Trump's border wall has been breached more than 3,000 times by smugglers, CBP records show LetMyPeopleVote Mar 2022 #3

LetMyPeopleVote

(145,168 posts)
3. Trump's border wall has been breached more than 3,000 times by smugglers, CBP records show
Sun Mar 6, 2022, 08:23 PM
Mar 2022

This is really sad




Mexican smuggling gangs have sawed through new segments of border wall 3,272 times over the past three years, according to unpublished U.S. Customs and Border Protection maintenance records obtained by The Washington Post under the Freedom of Information Act.

The government spent $2.6 million to repair the breaches during the 2019 to 2021 fiscal years, the CBP records show. While the agency has acknowledged that smugglers are able to hack through the new barriers built by the Trump administration, the maintenance records show damage has been more widespread than previously known, pointing to the structure’s limitations as an impediment to illegal crossings.

Smuggling gangs typically cut the barrier with inexpensive power tools widely available at retail hardware stores, including angle grinders and demolition saws. Once the 18-to-30-foot-tall bollards are severed near the ground, their only remaining point of attachment is at the top of the structure, leaving the steel beam dangling in the air. It easily swings open with a push, creating a gap wide enough for people and narcotics to pass through.

Along one 25-mile segment of new border wall between Naco and Douglas, Ariz., The Post recently counted 71 bollards with visible repairs and welds. In most instances, crews repaired the breaches using a sleeve-like steel coupler, referred to as a “boot,” to patch over the hole.

This so-called wall is a joke
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