Cameron County Judge Eddie Treviño Jr. said his office was not told in advance that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security deployed hundreds of miles of water barriers in the Rio Grande.

Treviño Jr. said he only learned that the buoys were in Brownsville from watching the news on Wednesday. 

“I would prefer that they tested elsewhere,” Treviño Jr. said, adding that he questions why they're needed at all.

“They're telling us that no one is crossing anymore,” Treviño Jr. said. "If it's to address the contraband issue, then maybe that's a better use of it. But to use the illegal immigrant crossing as the excuse, I’m just not sure that's the best use of our resources."

DHS has said the buoys will be placed along 500 miles of the river and will help stop illegal crossings.