Flood-Swept Border Buoys Reportedly Sold for Scrap in Mexico

EAGLE PASS, TX — Sections of a floating border buoy barrier that broke loose during historic Rio Grande flooding are being burned and sold for scrap metal in Mexico, with each buoy reportedly worth up to about $2,300 in aluminum, according to the Eagle Pass News Leader. 

The local outlet reported that videos show large orange sections of the barrier swept downstream by floodwaters. In the footage, individuals appear to be dismantling the buoys, which show burn marks, to recover the aluminum inside. One video includes audio of a person asking in Spanish why the buoys are being burned, with another replying that it is because they contain aluminum. 

Sources in contact with Mexican authorities told the Eagle Pass News Leader that each buoy could fetch approximately 40,000 Mexican pesos, or roughly $2,300 USD, in scrap aluminum. 

More than 100 buoys were swept downstream by the rapidly rising river, leading Texas officials to temporarily close International Bridge I and Camino Real International Bridge II in Eagle Pass while monitoring debris. 

The floating barrier was installed as part of border security efforts, with the U.S. and Texas governments investing millions of dollars. Some residents in Piedras Negras, Mexico, who recovered the displaced buoys are reportedly profiting from selling the aluminum. 

Authorities on both sides of the border continue to monitor the situation as the Rio Grande remains swollen from the flooding. 

Social media users quickly responded to the reports with a wave of AI-generated memes imagining new uses for the iconic orange buoys, including backyard barbecue pits, tiny homes, couches, DJ booths, cowboy boots and jackets, and even a riverside resort.