As far as I’m aware, booby traps are illegal everywhere in the US. Here’s a source that states it’s explicitly illegal in Texas if they are designed to seriously injure or kill someone. I’m not a lawyer, but certainly this falls into the definition of a booby trap? Can whoever ordered this be charged under this law, or even be charged with murder?
“Abbott’s buoys are like a trap set for migrants,” she said. “This is a terrorizing situation. You don’t stop migration by setting death traps….You treat humans like human beings, not like animals.”
Swim up to the buoys, decide not to risk it and instead swim back to shore, but now your legs are entangled in the razor wire (oh, excuse me “sharp metal strips” according to the article) you didn’t see under the water.
Imagine the nightmare of trying to dive under the buoys and getting your head and arms entangled in the razor wire.
What a horrible and cruel way to die. It’s like something a Guantanamo Bay torturer would come up with as a “deterrent.”
Abbott said the goal was to stop migrants from considering crossing the river. He has defended the hazard the buoys might pose by noting that migrants don’t risk drowning if they only cross at official points of entry.
So, it’s a booby trap?
That sure seems like a good way to describe it, yes.
This is horrible. Agreed on removing traps that can kill persons. But I would like to know how these buoys are a death trap. No mention on the article either. Any thoughts on how?
They are floating balls that are covered in loops of razorwire, which hangs down underneath the bouy. They’re clearly designed to snare people who try to swim under them, which could result in drowning, bleeding to death, or even dying of hypothermia if trapped there for too long. The Rio Grande is not warm at night.
Holy fuck that is so much worse than I thought.
The article isn’t clear. “On or near the buoy” could mean a lot of things - clinging to a buoy or floating next to one, at the very least.
“Razor wire and drowning devices” is also mentioned specifically but without any details. Buoys that are linked together with razor wire? Seems pretty on-brand for Abbot, to be honest. “Getting entangled in the barrier” seems to support this.
