‘First-of-its kind vehicle barrier system’ deployed on I-10 to deter drivers from fleeing Texas inspection checkpoint

U.S. Border Patrol (USBP) has deployed a semi-autonomous tire-shredding barrier in an effort to disable vehicles that flee from an I-10 checkpoint in Texas.

On January 21, 2026, USBP announced that “a first-of-its-kind advanced vehicle barrier system” was unveiled at the Sierra Blanca immigration checkpoint located approximately 90 miles east of El Paso, Texas, “a critical enforcement location along Interstate 10.”

Officials said that the new semi-autonomous system “is designed to stop extremely large vehicles traveling at high rates of speed” through the use of an energy absorbing ground-retractable barrier with an in-ground tire-shredding system.

USBP said that the vehicle barrier “is the first of its kind deployed at any of the 45 permanent U.S. Border Patrol checkpoints nationwide. It is intended to deter and effectively stop vehicles attempting to flee at high speeds before they can enter one of the nation’s busiest highway corridors.”

The system has successfully stopped vehicles traveling over 50 m.p.h. in real-world applications, according to a news release from USBP.

Border Patrol hopes that the system will “enhance public safety, strengthen border security and deter dangerous attempts to evade inspection.”

“Interstate 10 is a major artery connecting communities across the country. When someone attempts to bypass an immigration checkpoint, they are putting innocent motorists and our agents at serious risk,” said Big Bend Sector Chief Patrol Agent Lloyd Easterling. “This system allows us to stop and contain those threats in a controlled environment, before they become dangerous pursuits on public roadways.”

“This is not a pilot or a concept — it is a fully operational enforcement capability,” Easterling said. “We will use every appropriate tool available to protect the American public and our agents as we unapologetically enforce the law.”

USBP called the vehicle barrier system “less-than-lethal” and emphasized that it would only be utilized by trained officers.

The system was created by Global GRAB Technologies.