The United States expects to finish construction of the reinforced metal-beam wall along its southern border with Mexico by the end of 2027, according to Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Commissioner Rodney Scott. The structure is designed to stretch from San Diego to the Gulf of Mexico, with deliberate gaps only in areas deemed unnecessary — such as the remote clifftops of Big Bend National Park in Texas — and will be supplemented by electronic surveillance technology expected to be fully installed by mid-2028. Officials say the wall aims to reduce illegal immigration and drug trafficking, though Scott acknowledged that smugglers are already using tunnels and drones to monitor patrol movements and transport narcotics across the Rio Grande.