Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem told The Dallas Express the recent capture of Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro “sends a clear message” on national defense at the border.
“It sends a clear message that if President Trump says something, he means it,” Noem said to DX. “He’ll take action to defend this country.”
Noem announced plans for 500 miles of new water barriers along the Rio Grande River at a press conference near Brownsville on January 7. Federal officials have secured funding for 100 miles of buoys so far.
DHS Presser on new buoy system!@Sec_Noem @loganwashburn76 https://t.co/yNX54X419y
— The Dallas Express News (@DallasExpress) January 7, 2026
During the conference, The Dallas Express asked Noem how she expects the situation to change along the border after American forces captured Maduro in the early hours of January 3.
Maduro is facing criminal charges in New York surrounding his alleged narcoterrorist empire.
“We try to build relationships,” Noem replied to DX. “But also, if you violate our laws, if you threaten people, and if you don’t follow what international law is as well, then there will be consequences.”
From Chaos to Calm: Water Barriers Transform Rio Grande Security Under Trump Administration
DHS officials have already installed a line of the new water barriers in the Rio Grande outside Brownsville.
Some of the new buoys on the Rio Grande outside Brownsville.@DallasExpress @DallasXCEO pic.twitter.com/wjuXPcZvzL
— Logan Washburn (@loganwashburn76) January 7, 2026
Border Patrol Chief Michael Banks said these are different from the buoys Gov. Greg Abbott installed in 2023 – using new anti-tamper devices, and a spinning “ratchet” system to prevent illegal aliens from climbing over.
These buoys aim to deter smugglers and human traffickers and create a safer environment for Border Patrol agents, according to Noem, who added that they are funded by the “Big Beautiful Bill.”
“Securing our waterways not only protects Americans, but saves the lives of illegal aliens by deterring them from daring to attempt to cross this treacherous water,” Noem said. “Things are so calm here that it’s easy to forget how bad things really were.”
When DHS officials brought The Dallas Express to the border, Border Patrol and Coast Guard boats monitored the Rio Grande. Meanwhile, helicopters flew overhead, and patrol cars lined the dirt roads.
Under former President Joe Biden’s administration, nearly 3,000 illegal aliens died crossing the border, according to Noem. She said water crossings were the second-highest cause of death, only surpassed by heat exhaustion.
“Those barriers, and these ones behind me, are going to save more lives,” Noem said. “They’re going to save illegal alien lives, they’ll help stop drug trafficking that’s devastating the next generation of Americans, and they will also make sure that we’re stopping human trafficking.”
Biden Laid Down the Red Carpet for Illegal Aliens
The conference followed a roundtable discussion with South Texas farmers, who shared their struggles with illegal aliens and trafficking, and discussed how these issues have improved during President Donald Trump’s administration.
DHS Roundtable at Mexican Border https://t.co/NvPBvnH1Ia
— Logan Washburn (@loganwashburn76) January 7, 2026
Border Patrol Agent Paul Perez, president of the National Border Patrol Council, said the Biden administration used agents to release illegal aliens into America.
“To actually witness the Biden administration literally lay down the red carpet for the illegal aliens that come across,” he said. “Texas would have become number one for apprehensions. Fortunately, we had a governor at the time that was willing to step in and make sure that didn’t happen.”
Border Patrol lacked the manpower to respond to calls from ranchers, farmers, or illegal aliens in distress, according to Perez.
“Our agents – they were humiliated by what they were having to do. The amount of people that came in, and the amount of drugs,” he said. “The priority for the administration was process and release.”
Banks said the Biden administration threatened to fire agents if they enforced the law.
“Every man and woman out here wearing this uniform knows exactly how to secure the border,” he said. “We just weren’t allowed to do it, we were ordered not to do it by the previous administration… This administration has just said, ‘What do you need?’”
Noem Thanks Border Ranchers: “Thank You for Caring About this Land”
Mark Elbert, a farmer with a background at the Brownsville Police Department, said the situation has improved drastically.
“Before, we didn’t want our kids riding their bikes down the road. Because they’d bring ‘loads’ in and fly down our street,” Elbert said.
The summer before Trump took office for his current term, Elbert said, he and his wife Bonnie walked over the levee and found “three guys carrying bundles.”
“It’s not that way now,” he said. “You see a lot more agents out here than you ever did under Biden.”
Still, some threats persist. Elbert said he recently ran across two separate drug trafficking “loads” on the road outside his ranch – one on his way home for lunch, and one returning from lunch.
Noem said the Trump administration would continue supporting border ranchers and thanked them for helping with immigration enforcement.
“I want to thank you for what you do,” Noem said. “I want to thank you for caring about this land – and not being people who fold up, sell out, and leave, and give up because of the devastation.”
