The Rio Grande Has Transformed From Environmental Haven to Militarized Border

"As a child, Michelle Serrano would take trips to Boca Chica with her grandmother. From her home in Brownsville, the drive ran east through Texas wetlands and countryside before landing on miles of beach, stretching far down the Gulf Coast just above the U.S.-Mexico border. They'd spend the day there, swimming, laying out - which didn't cost anything, unlike at South Padre Island to the north. For them, it was the peoples' beach."

"A thick fog has settled over the sand dunes as Serrano pulls up the hood of her jacket to block the coastal wind. Already, she had seen four U.S. Border Patrol trucks driving along the sand - trucks she knows will slow down as the drivers stare at her with suspicion. Two rocket launch pads loom behind her, actively under construction for Elon Musk's SpaceX Starbase. There, more Border Patrol units sit."

Michelle Serrano recalls childhood trips to Boca Chica with her grandmother, enjoying free public beach access along the Gulf Coast near the U.S.-Mexico border. The area now shows heavy Border Patrol activity, with multiple trucks patrolling the sand and a thicker security presence near SpaceX's Starbase construction. Two rocket launch pads are under construction, and Border Patrol units frequently position near the facilities. Since President Donald Trump returned to office, waivers have been used to bypass environmental, state, and local protections to accelerate border wall construction and security measures. These changes restrict public access, increase militarization, and raise concerns about ecological and waterway damage.

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