When it comes to building a barrier between Texas and Mexico to deter illegal immigration, a myriad of approaches of have been tested and tried over the years.

Portions of President Donald Trump‘s border fence exist along the Rio Grande, as have other, less-expensive structures designed to curtail unauthorized border crossings — from simple razor wire fences along “cow paths” on the shore to a “virtual wall” consisting of surface and aerial surveillance equipment.

A relatively inexpensive, new solution which Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said will be implemented in early July took political observers and immigration watchdogs alike by surprise during a press conference Thursday. While celebrating the signing of immigration-related legislation, Abbott announced the planned deployment of floating barriers to deter illegal crossings in hotspots along the Rio Grande.

Border buoys, in other words.

“This strategy,” a press release stated, “will proactively prevent illegal crossings between ports of entry by making it more difficult to cross the Rio Grande and reach the Texas side of the southern border. The first 1,000 feet of the marine floating barrier will be deployed near Eagle Pass” and Piedras Negras, Coahuila, Mexico. A Department of Public Safety spokesman confirmed they had been previously tested along the water boundary between Mexico and the U.S.

The first 1,000 feet would consist of four-foot-round buoys, manufactured by the Cochrane USA corporation, it was learned at the press conference. According to the Cochrane Global website, spiked buoys have been used to deter watercraft for quite some time. But “smooth buoys are the ideal countermeasure against human intrusion — deterring people from attempting a crossing that could prove to be perilous and, in many cases, fatal.”

The company boasts a product that stands firm in calm water and does not harm wildlife. No information could immediately be found about whether the buoys could be swam under, though they apparently turn along a steel cable which connects them.

Abbott announced the signing of the following bills into state law on Thursday according to the press release, amounting to a total of $5.1 billion in border-related spending:

Senate Bill 423 “provides Texas military forces the authority to use unmanned aircrafts as part of an operation, exercise, or mission. The bill legalizes the use of drones for search and recovery missions after natural disasters and for monitoring the Texas-Mexico border as part of Operation Lone Star.”

Senate Bill 602 “expands the authority of U.S. Border Patrol agents who have completed a DPS training program to include arrest, search, and seizure at established border checkpoints and points of entry for felony offenses under Texas law. Current law only allows agents to detain certain individuals at these locations.”

Senate Bill 1133 “creates a grant program to compensate agricultural landowners up to $75,000 for property damage caused by trespassers committing a border crime, such as the smuggling of persons, evading arrest, human trafficking, or a drug offense. Increased migrant traffic and law enforcement activity has left many landowners with significant financial losses and property damage.”

Senate Bill 1403 “authorizes the Governor to coordinate and execute an interstate compact for border security among interested states without congressional approval. The compact will allow participating states to share law enforcement intelligence and resources for heightened detection and deterrence of illegal border activity and will further protect personnel and property to overcome continued shortcomings of existing federal border policy.”

Senate Bill 1484 “creates a collaborative border operations training program through DPS for peace officers employed by local law enforcement agencies along the border. The bill will allow DPS to share expertise in identifying and preventing of transnational criminal activity to local authorities.”

Senate Bill 1900 “designates Mexican drug cartels and criminal organizations as foreign terrorist organizations in the State of Texas and increases penalties for the destruction of illegal drugs and the operation of stash houses. This bill also adds foreign terrorist organizations to current intelligence databases and allows local entities to seek public nuisance claims against them. Governor Abbott issued an executive order last September designating Mexican drug cartels as terrorist organizations and has requested President Joe Biden take similar federal action.”