Rio Grande

  • Texas Marine Unit Uses Yellowfin-built Shallow Water Vessels for Border Patrol missions.

    Menaced by Mexican drug cartels, the Texas Department of Public Safety operates a fleet of six shallow-water vessels it commissioned in late 2011 and 2012 to patrol its borders. The agency purchased the boats from Bradenton, Florida-based manufacturer Yellowfin Yachts as threats along the Rio Grande escalated. Yellowfin custom builds its 34-foot fishing boats for military and police purposes, company president Wylie Nagler said last month, “The boats for Texas have three, 300 horsepower motors on them, can reach 68 miles an hour and have excellent maneuverability,” he said. “They can operate in as little as 22 inches of water.” It’s easy to see why, in this case, that these powerful response and patrol boats are now an important tool in the Texas border security toolbox.
    Nagler, a powerboat racer and tournament fisherman, founded Yellowfin in 1998 to sell high-performance, offshore fishing boats. The Yellowfin 34 is 34’-8” long, weighs 8,800 pounds, has a 10-foot beam and a maximum HP of 1,050. The company’s recreational 34 vessel sells for $250,000. Texas, however, paid $580,000 for its six enhanced versions of the Yellowfin 34, which feature retractable, protective ballistic panels for occupants. “Those are the black panels you see on the boats,” Nagler said.

    New Marine Group Has 40 Fully Trained Officers
    The Texas border with Mexico is anything but an easy stretch to patrol. “The Dept. of Public Safety’s Tactical Marine Unit commands a state-of-the-art fleet of armored, shallow-water interceptors used to detect, disrupt and deter criminal activity on the Rio Grande River, international lakes and the Intracoastal Waterway,” Texas DPS spokesman Tom Vinger said last month. The TMU was founded in 2011.
    “Painted in the familiar, DPS black and white pattern, the interceptors are equipped with ballistic shielding and four-to-six FN M240B, fully-automatic machine guns, capable of firing up to 900 .30 caliber rounds per minute,” Vinger said, adding, “The vessels have night vision capabilities, allowing them to operate in a day or night environment.” And they can move quietly along a waterway for stealthy operations.
    “The TMU is comprised of about 40 DPS officers to help detect and deter those who break state laws and endanger our citizens,” Vinger said. “These officers have received extensive training from the U.S. Coast Guard. The TMU coordinates with local, state and federal law-enforcement agencies and provides assistance as needed.” The TMU is funded by the state legislature and federal, homeland security grants. The U.S. Border Patrol enforces immigration laws, Vinger said.
    “The TMU and the patrol vessels represent a significant enhancement of the state’s efforts in combating Mexican cartels and other criminal organizations transporting illegal drugs into Texas, as well as a variety of weapons, explosives and munitions southbound into Mexico,” Vinger said. “The vessels are used to combat splashdowns, a tactic by which drug smugglers trying to evade law enforcement crash their vehicles into the Rio Grande in Texas.” Boat retrieval teams then enter the river from Mexico to recover the drugs. Smugglers involved in splashdowns usually commit multiple offenses, including vehicle flight and reckless driving, and sometimes use weapons as they evade officers and attempt to destroy evidence. In the last five years, Texas has had at least 79 cartel-related splashdowns. 

    Mexican Cartels: Tough Mission, Wide Swath
    According to the Texas DPS, Mexican cartels are the state’s biggest, organized crime threat. Six out of eight major Mexican cartels have command-and-control networks in Texas, and they use the Lone Star State as a transshipment center for marijuana, cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin and people to the rest of the United States. The cartels also transport cash, weapons and stolen vehicles through Texas back to Mexico.
    Texas has 27 ports of entry, 1,254 miles of border with Mexico and 367 miles of coastline, making it hard to watch smugglers. The Texas leg of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, a coastal canal, extends hundreds of miles from Sabine Pass to Port Isabel. Measuring over 267,000 square miles, the state is bigger than France and twice the size of Germany. The Yellowfin border patrol boats help shrink that coastline for the Texas DPS’ Tactical Marine Units.

    TMU Was Formed As Border Violence Grew 
    Spending by state and federal agencies on U.S.-Mexican border security has swelled. The U.S. Border Patrol has doubled its staff since 2006, developed more-invasive surveillance techniques and expanded its fencing. The U.S. Coast Guard has duties in the Lower Rio Grande Valley, in addition to its offshore responsibilities.
    Texas commissioned its TMU patrol boats after a series of incidents on the border. In a June 9, 2011 event, Texas Parks and Wildlife Game Wardens and U. S. Border Patrol agents interrupted drug smugglers trying to move 450 pounds of marijuana across the Rio Grande from Mexico to Hidalgo County, Texas. Mexican cartel members threw rocks and fired guns at the officers, who shot back, striking at least three of the smugglers. The cartel members then fled into Mexico.
    That was just one of a string of daily threats, DPS Director Steve McCraw told Texas Public Safety Commissioners in their June 2011 monthly meeting. “Our officers already are seeing incidents where the cartels are using blocking and chase vehicles, throwing caltrops to puncture law enforcement tires, using organized boat recovery operations and conducting surveillance on law enforcement,” McCraw said. “We’re concerned about the escalation of violence against our officers.” A caltrop is several twisted nails or spikes, with one end sticking straight up. It can puncture the tire of a moving vehicle.
    McCraw spoke about Mexico’s cartels in testimony before  the U.S. House Subcommittee on Border and Maritime Security on May 1, 2012. “The Mexican cartels will continue to undermine the domestic security of Mexico and the safety and security of Texas and the nation until the U.S. border with Mexico is secured at the International Ports of Entry or POEs, between the POEs and along our coast,” he said. As security is stepped up in one area, cartels quickly exploit vulnerabilities elsewhere. A comprehensive and fully integrated approach to cartels is essential, he said.

    TMU Vessels Named After Fallen State Troopers
    The first of the six TMU patrol boats built by Yellowfin was commissioned by DPS in December 2011, and the final boat went into service in November 2012, Vinger said. Each vessel was named after a DPS highway trooper killed in the line of duty in the state’s six regions. At a Nov. 28, 2012 ceremony in Austin, DPS commissioned the TMU’s sixth vessel, named after Trooper Scott Burns, who was shot and killed pursuing a suspect in Marion County in April 2008.
    The Scott Burns joined five shallow-water interceptors patrolling the Rio Grande and Intracoastal Waterway. The other TMU boats are the Bill Davidson, the J.D. Davis, the David Rucker, the Troy Hogue and the Russell Boyd. Trooper Davidson was shot and killed in Jackson County in 1992; Trooper Davis was shot  in Lubbock County in 1980; Trooper Rucker was shot in Cameron County in 1981; Trooper Hogue was shot in Howard County in 1994; and Trooper Boyd was shot in Waller County in 1983.
    In addition to its six-boat marine unit, the Texas DPS maintains a fleet of planes and helicopters to augment their marine presence.

    Yellowfin 34s: Fulfilling Its Mission In the Texass
    Before Nagler founded Yellowfin 15 years ago, he owned Back Country Powerboats, which built inshore vessels. Eventually, he sold Back Country to Champion Boats. Yellowfin, a manufacturer of inshore and offshore fishing boats, has made a name for itself in the large-center-console market. As for his client Texas DPS, “we have a good relationship with them,” Nagler said.
    “The patrol boats are doing what they were intended to, and everyone is pretty happy.” Nagler also has a Central American client for his militarized Yellowfin 34s, and, like many other niche builders in this market, sells his boats internationally.
    Homeland Security can take on many faces, especially along the Texas-Mexico marine borders, where increasingly, marine-based assets are necessary to address a border security threat better known for its land-based battles. The Yellowfin 34’s are quickly demonstrating that they are a necessary and important part of this mission. On the water, it’s just not a good idea anymore to mess with Texas.



    (As published in the February 2014 edition of Marine News - www.marinelink.com)

     

  • group focusing on container terminals, maritime towing, shipbuilding and offshore logistic. The group has two important container terminals, Tecon Rio Grande and Tecon Salvador. In Brazil it is the leader of the maritime towing market and builds PSVs in its own shipyards located in Guarujá, in the state

  • . There are four VLCC hull being converted to FPSOs at the Inhaúma shipyard in Rio de Janeiro and another eight “replicant” FPSOs being built at the Rio Grande shipyard in the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul. Brasa shipyard in Rio de Janeiro has recently completed the conversion of the Cidade de Ilhabela

  • at the Northern Frontier.   The Northern Frontier Brazil’s Northern Frontier is divided between five states; Amapá, Pará and Maranhão, Piauí and Rio Grande do Norte and has five offshore sedimentary basins; Foz do Amazonas Basin, Pará-Maranhão Basin, Barreirinhas Basin, Ceará Basin and Potiguar Basin

  • . The company is made up of various segments. It manages two container terminals, one in the port of Salvador (Tecon Salvador) and one in the port of Rio Grande (Tecon Rio Grande). It also has 80 tugboats, the largest fleet in Brazil, 23 offshore support vessels, two offshore support bases (Rio and Niteró

  • ;s new vessel is Subchapter M compliant and able move barges carrying oil or hazardous materials in no discharge areas from St. Marks, Fla. to Rio Grande, Texas on the Intracoastal Waterway and rivers not more than three miles from shore.L&L Marine Transportation was founded by LeBoeuf’s

  • the Samsung units (Egina) will have significant topsides work performed in Nigeria.   In Brazil eight replica FPSOs are being built by Ecovix at the new Rio Grande Shipyard.  Elsewhere, two FPSOs are being built in China and two FPSO hulls are being built in Japan with topsides finishing in Singapore or Brazil

  • fatigue resistance of the risers’ system. The connector concept was developed and patented by Petrobras and engineered by the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul(UFRGS). A prototype was assembled on a flexible line sample and passed the initial tests. Fatigue performance tests are currently in progress

  • recently emerged as major players in the FPSO fabrication business.  They are all focused on the local market.  Ecovix is building eight FPSO hulls at Rio Grande Sul for use by Petrobras.  A consortium formed by Odebrecht is converting four VLCCs to FPSOs in Inhauma shipyard (ex-Ishibras), also for use by

  • MT May-23#42  at Praia da Macumba, state of Rio de Janeiro. 
weather and)
    May 2023 - Marine Technology Reporter page: 42

    located at Praia Grande, state of São Paulo and the pared to satellite connections that can be severely impacted by other at Praia da Macumba, state of Rio de Janeiro. weather and other natural events. Petrobras is highly motivated in increasing capacity and security in the transmission of real-time

  • MT May-23#40  in Praia Grande, São Paulo, and Rio de Janeiro. MTR 
interviewed)
    May 2023 - Marine Technology Reporter page: 40

    ber optic system project, offshore Brazil. The project will link 13 FPSOs and one platform with two cable landing stations in Praia Grande, São Paulo, and Rio de Janeiro. MTR interviewed Pioneer Consulting’s Director of Client Solutions, Austin Shields, to learn more about the project and the subsea ? ber

  • MR Dec-22#40  installed on Seven Waves, Seven Rio 
40  Maritime Reporter)
    December 2022 - Maritime Reporter and Engineering News page: 40

    and current to a water depth of 10 me- In fact, on some really large windfarms with diverse ba- ters, WaveSystem will be installed on Seven Waves, Seven Rio 40 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News • December 2022 MR #12 (34-43).indd 40 12/6/2022 1:45:44 P

  • MT Sep-22#22  sales. To put that into 
Rio de Janeiro and Salvador)
    September 2022 - Marine Technology Reporter page: 22

    systems as its AquaPix SAS is rated more than 60 employees. The 13R team, with of? ces in for both commercial and military sales. To put that into Rio de Janeiro and Salvador, Brazil, consists of software perspective, a Canadian Toonie is larger that 1.9 x 2.1cm developers and engineers who have

  • MN Oct-22#76 ...........................22 Patriot Offshore Marine Service)
    October 2022 - Marine News page: 76

    ...............................................22 BP ...................................................................................................22 Patriot Offshore Marine Service ...................................................22 Bristol Harbor Group, Inc. .........................................

  • MN Oct-22#65  provider of navigation solu-
Rio Controls & Hydraulics
utilizes)
    October 2022 - Marine News page: 65

    MN Rose Point Navigation Systems Rose Point Navigation Systems MascoatMascoat sel systems and hydraulic services. It leading provider of navigation solu- Rio Controls & Hydraulics utilizes innovative design and ABS tions for professional mariners. The approved equipment to provide ef? - company was founded

  • MN Oct-22#64  from navigation lights, to exterior 
lighting, all the way)
    October 2022 - Marine News page: 64

    can present the lighting designs and primed surface, ensuring it will stand the test of time. an entire lighting package from navigation lights, to exterior lighting, all the way through to interior lighting. “In order to position ourself for success, we’ve worked a lot on expanding P LHOENIX IGHTING Phoenix

  • MN Mar-22#41  bushings 
and shaft seals. RIO Controls and Hydraulic)
    March 2022 - Marine News page: 41

    York Harbor. Steel Skipper two J & S Machine Works, Inc. 7” ABS Grade two pro- peller shafts with all Thordon Bearings, Thorplas bushings and shaft seals. RIO Controls and Hydraulic, Inc. supplied the steering system for the two 7” main and four 7” ? ank- ing rudders. Gulf Coast Air & Hydraulics, Inc. provided

  • MR Feb-22#15   National Grid, Raizen, Repsol, Rio Tinto, Shell, Tata Power)
    February 2022 - Maritime Reporter and Engineering News page: 15

    Eversource, Exelon, ExxonMobil, Ferrovial, Iberdrola, IHI, tively undo all of the good that’s being done by the shipping National Grid, Raizen, Repsol, Rio Tinto, Shell, Tata Power, companies that follow the rules. Toyota Research Institute, and Washington Gas. Marine Repair and Vessel Conversions 5 Dry

  • MT Jul-21#44 . The 
strong current of the Rio Grande River along the U.S)
    July 2021 - Marine Technology Reporter page: 44

    bottom ing used by the U.S. Border Patrol to rescue people in the below the water surface around the bridge substructures. The strong current of the Rio Grande River along the U.S,/Mexi- preliminary inspections can become far more ef? cient and can border. then, if needed, we can use manned inspections

  • MT Jul-21#25  from the 
Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
EMPOWERING
w)
    July 2021 - Marine Technology Reporter page: 25

    of corals around the world. She received her Ph.D. in microbiology, M.S. in biotechnology and B.S. in biological sciences from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. EMPOWERING world leader in electric underwater robotics www.marinetechnologynews.com 25 MTR #5 (18-33).indd 25 7/30/2021 11:22:20 A

  • MN May-21#11  had a bit of a 
Inc. based in Rio Vista, California. maverick)
    May 2021 - Marine News page: 11

    the sea and work on towboats at the age of 26 formed Dutra Construction Company, and in marine construction,” said Dutra.“I had a bit of a Inc. based in Rio Vista, California. maverick in me in my earlier years. I always knew that I Looking back, Dutra said “you have to remember that in had a passion [for

  • MR Jun-21#5 .
SHANE FAUCHEUX 
President, Rio Controls & Hydraulics
Rio)
    June 2021 - Maritime Reporter and Engineering News page: 5

    OPERATE YOUR VESSEL FROM WHATEVER LOCATION PROVIDES THE BEST VANTAGE POINT. SHANE FAUCHEUX President, Rio Controls & Hydraulics Rio has successfully installed multiple Sea Machines systems on US Flag vessels with a growing backlog in 2021. See how autonomous technology is bringing change to your

  • MT May-21#7 .
SHANE FAUCHEUX 
President, Rio Controls & Hydraulics
Rio)
    May 2021 - Marine Technology Reporter page: 7

    OPERATE YOUR VESSEL FROM WHATEVER LOCATION PROVIDES THE BEST VANTAGE POINT. SHANE FAUCHEUX President, Rio Controls & Hydraulics Rio has successfully installed multiple Sea Machines systems on US Flag vessels with a growing backlog in 2021. See how autonomous technology is bringing change to your

  • MT Mar-21#41 we’ve been testing it since we installed it there in)
    March 2021 - Marine Technology Reporter page: 41

    we’ve been testing it since we installed it there in September Well, it sounds like there’s a lot going on there 2018. We’ve had some brief ins and outs to ? x things, but for sure. Jason, we understand that the system we’ve had a pretty steady run for a bit more than a year there. has been put to the

  • MN Nov-20#51  barge trains will be done by Rio 
Maguari Shipyard (ERM))
    November 2020 - Marine News page: 51

    of the vessels is estimated at around $2 million to start. In all, 30 barges will be built by 2021. The construction of the barge trains will be done by Rio Maguari Shipyard (ERM), in the city of Belém, located in the northern state of Pará. The logistical project for transport and distribution of LNG

  • MR Nov-20#39  and one in the port 
of Rio Grande (Tecon Rio Grande).)
    November 2020 - Maritime Reporter and Engineering News page: 39

    . The company is made up of various segments. It manages two container terminals, one in the port of Salvador (Tecon Salvador) and one in the port of Rio Grande (Tecon Rio Grande). It also has 80 tugboats, the largest ? eet in Brazil, 23 offshore support vessels, two offshore support bases (Rio and Niterói)

  • MN Oct-20#45  from St. 
Marks, Fla. to Rio Grande, Texas on 
the Intracoastal)
    October 2020 - Marine News page: 45

    is Thordon Bearings Subchapter M compliant and able move barges carrying oil or hazardous materials in no discharge areas from St. Marks, Fla. to Rio Grande, Texas on the Intracoastal Waterway and rivers not more than three miles from shore. L&L Marine Transportation was founded by LeBoeuf’s father

  • MN Sep-20#54  system HPU was provided by Rio  chine allows various size)
    September 2020 - Marine News page: 54

    WAF 665 reduction gears, provided by Karl Senner, LLC. Vernon Tool Company computerized pipe cutting ma- The vessel’s steering system HPU was provided by Rio chine allows various size pipe diameters and length to be Marine and Hydraulic. The towboat offers a total of six pre-cut prior to assembly to avoid

  • MT May-20#61  headquartered in Centro, Rio de  Offcer (CSO); Ian Bryan)
    May 2020 - Marine Technology Reporter page: 61

    Market (CTO); Iain Wallace, Rovco’s previous FarSounder announced Ulstein Belga CTO, will now work as Chief Scientifc Marine headquartered in Centro, Rio de Offcer (CSO); Ian Bryan joins as Con- Janeiro, Brazil is its newest dealer and sultant Chief Operating Offcer (COO); their frst in Brazil. Ulstein

  • MT May-20#12  Maricá northeast of the city of Rio de Janiero.
Acoustic Communicati)
    May 2020 - Marine Technology Reporter page: 12

    Communications Image showing how Rota 3 pipeline will move natural gas from an offshore (ACOMMs) FPSO to the city of Maricá northeast of the city of Rio de Janiero. Acoustic Communications (ACOMMs) Forward-looking Sonar Altimeter Synthetic Aperture Sonar Transducers Multibeam Sonar Standard Confgurations

  • MT May-20#8  miles 
offshore southeast of Rio de Janeiro for Enauta.
McDermott)
    May 2020 - Marine Technology Reporter page: 8

    Growth in Brazil By Claudio Paschoa McDermott completes phase 1 of the deepwater Atlanta EPS located approximately 115 miles offshore southeast of Rio de Janeiro for Enauta. McDermott May 2020 8 MT

  • MN May-20#52  Products, S6R2-Y3MPTAW  seals. RIO Controls and Hydraulic)
    May 2020 - Marine News page: 52

    ?cates for their Sub M com- pliance have been obtained. The towboat is powered by a pair of Credit: Master Marine Laborde Products, S6R2-Y3MPTAW seals. RIO Controls and Hydraulic, Inc. windows and Dales Welding and Fabri- Mitsubishi 803 HP Tier III diesel ma- supplied the steering system for the two cators

  • MR Mar-20#48 , the  Portobelo, Cabo Frio, Recife, Angra dos  the)
    March 2020 - Maritime Reporter and Engineering News page: 48

    CRUISE SHIPPING THE BRAZIL MARKET Brazil Market Gains Momentum By Claudio Paschoa fter years of stagnation, the Portobelo, Cabo Frio, Recife, Angra dos the ships offer 531,121 beds, along 144 Brazilian Cruise Market is Reis, Maceio , Ubatuba and Fortaleza. routes and 575 port stops. There already