Federal Contractor’s Boat Installing Water Buoys in Rio Grande Sinks at Eagle Pass
By: Ricardo E. Calderon, Copyright 2026 Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc.
A federal contractor’s boat installing water marine buoys in the Rio Grande sank unexpectedly on Wednesday, September 23, 2026 during the morning while attempting to pull approximately 60-70 buoys along the river due to the extreme weight and pull of the buoys, said eyewitness Jesse F. Fuentes of Epi’s Canoes and Kayaks who was conducting a kayaking tour on the Rio Grande.
Fuentes stated that he and Dr. Roberto R. Calderon, a retired American history university professor, were on the Rio Grande kayaking between City of Eagle Pass Shelby Park and the Eagle Pass Camino Real International Bridge when a red-colored air boat leased to the federal contractor installing several hundred million dollars worth of water buoys on the Rio Grande for the Donald J. Trump Administration and the U. S. Department of Homeland Security downstream from Eagle Pass when suddenly the air boat’s engine roared extremely loud in the early morning seeking to pull the chain of 60-70 buoys, but the tons of sheer weight of the buoys being pulled caused the air boat’s rear sink into the river.
Fuentes captured the sinking of the federal contractor’s air boat on video and photographs together with his guest, Dr. Calderon. Fuentes reported a U. S. Border Patrol air boat and two other air boats belonging to the federal contractor arrived within minutes to rescue the three persons aboard the sunken boat. No one was injured in the freak accident on the Rio Grande. Ice chests and safety vests were noticeably observed floating downstream from the sunken boat.
Fuentes noted that the Rio Grande has its own ways of defending itself against man’s destruction and desecration of the navigability of the river. Interestingly, the Rio Grande on the American side is quickly growing hydrilla, algae and the water is becoming stagnant while on the Mexican-side the water is flowing downstream naturally. Fuentes stated the installation of the water buoys on the Rio Grande is a waste of federal taxpayers monies and impeding the navigability of the Rio Grande.
