WATCH: Texas Military Border Base Construction in Full Swing

EAGLE PASS, Texas — Nestled on the banks of the Rio Grande some six miles south of Eagle Pass, construction is reaching a fever pitch on one of Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s latest border projects. Breitbart Texas captured the progress being made on “Forward Operating Base Eagle,” a military base camp designed to provide housing to 1,800 Texas Army National Guard soldiers deployed to the area as part of Operation Lone Star.

The video shows trucks carrying construction materials arriving at the 80-acre parcel of land acquired by the State. The video captures the groundwork on utilities and foundation preparations for the sprawling project that sits on the edge of the Rio Grande just yards from Mexico.

Abbott announced the project to house Texas National Guard soldiers who are responding to President Joe Biden’s border crisis in February. The Texas governor explained the need for the project saying:

Texas is expanding our border security capabilities by building a new Texas Military Department base camp to increase and improve border security operations in this area. This will increase the ability for a larger number of Texas Military Department soldiers in Eagle Pass to operate more effectively and efficiently.

The new operations base promises dramatic improvements to soldiers’ accommodations, including their own individual rooms, a 700-seat dining facility, a recreational center, laundry facilities, and WiFi access. According to the Texas Military Department, the camp will also provide chaplaincy programs and medical and psychological health facilities.

According to state officials, the Texas National Guard soldiers are currently staying at multiple locations across the region in cramped quarters, apart from fellow soldiers, and sometimes traveling long distances to reach their assigned posts. When completed, the facility will be able to accommodate a surge force of 500 additional soldiers, bringing the total capacity to 2,200 troops.

According to Texas Military Department contracting documents, the state will pay Team Housing Solutions Incorporated, a company in New Braunfels, Texas, $131 million in operating costs through September 2024.

The construction comes as the region has experienced a drastic slowing in migrant crossings in recent months. As reported by Breitbart Texas, migrant apprehensions dropped across the southwest border from nearly 250,000 in December to less than 125,000 in January after a series of late-December meetings between the United States and Mexico. The drop in apprehensions in Eagle Pass was more significant, with arrests dropping from 4,000 to 5,000 per day in December to less than 300 per day, according to CBP sources.

Randy Clark is a 32-year veteran of the United States Border Patrol.  Prior to his retirement, he served as the Division Chief for Law Enforcement Operations, directing operations for nine Border Patrol Stations within the Del Rio, Texas, Sector. Follow him on Twitter @RandyClarkBBTX.