Port Matters July 2022 Issue

Vol. 7, No. 2 July 2022

The Brownsville Navigation District and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on July 6, 2022, celebrated the signing of a joint agreement for Phase 2 of the Brazos Island Harbor Channel Improvement Project.

From left to right first row: Michael L. Connor, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works, Esteban Guerra, Brownsville Navigation District Chairman, and Timothy Vail, Commander Colonel of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Galveston District. From left to right second row: John Reed, Brownsville Navigation District Commissioner, David Keane, NextDecade Senior Vice President, Ralph Cowen, Brownsville Navigation District Vice Chairman and John Wood, Brownsville Navigation District Secretary.

Texas' Global

Gateway to Expand

Port Hosts Historic Channel Improvement Project Signing Ceremony

The Port of Brownsville is one step closer to becoming one of the deepest ports in the Gulf of Mexico.

The Brownsville Navigation District and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on July 6, signed a joint agreement for Phase 2 of the Brazos Island Harbor (BIH) Channel Improvement Project.

The agreement advances the project’s timeline to begin work on deepening the 17-mile long ship channel from 42 feet to 52 feet, resulting in significant navigational safety improvements for commercial shipping in South Texas.

The BIH project will further increase the port’s capabilities, allowing existing industries in the Rio Grande Valley to continue expanding while also attracting new economic opportunities for the region.

The Port of Brownsville is a major player in the movement of commodities across North America and the leading multimodal logistics hub for the Rio Grande Valley. In 2021, the port moved a record 13.8 million tons of diverse cargo. Key commodities moving through the port’s docks include steel, petroleum-based products, wind energy components, aggregates, agricultural products, among others.

The Brownsville Navigation District Board of Commissioners recognized Police Chief Carlos L. Garcia with a proclamation at a regular board meeting held July 6, 2022.

Port PD Chief Garcia Retires After 10 Years of Service

After 10 years of service, Police Chief Carlos L. Garcia is retiring from the Port of Brownsville effective July 8, 2022. William Dietrich, former commander for the Brownsville Police Department, replaces Garcia as Chief of Police for the port beginning July 11, 2022.

Garcia joined the port in January 2012, after serving as the Chief of Police for the City of Brownsville for 10 years.

After retiring from the Brownsville Police Department, where he served for 30 years and five months, the Brownsville native was selected to take on as Chief of Police at the port. He rose to the occasion learning how to best serve a maritime port and the federal requirements needed for smooth operations.

'My 10-year tenure at the Port of Brownsville Police Department provided me with the opportunity to modernize and professionalize a young department," said Garcia. "But more than that, I felt it was a 10-year internship in viewing an organization, the Port of Brownsville, on how a governmental agency should be managed and directed to accomplish their goals and objectives and place it to succeed for the future."

NextDecade Announces Agreement With China Gas

NextDecade Corporation announced July 5, the execution of a 20-year sale and purchase agreement with China Gas Hongda Energy Trading Co., LTD from NextDecade’s Rio Grande LNG export proposed project at the Port of Brownsville.

Under the agreement, China Gas will purchase 1.0 million tonnes per annum of liquid natural gas indexed to Henry Hub and delivered on a free-on-board basis. The LNG will be supplied from the second train at Rio Grande LNG, which is expected to start commercial operations as early as 2027.

El Puerto de Brownsville, Motor Económico En Ambos Lados De La Frontera

The Port of Brownsville is the global gateway for South Texas and Northern Mexico, supporting a wide range of industries across North America. Check out this special report from Telemundo about the port’s capabilities and economic impact to the state of Texas and beyond.

El Puerto de Brownsville es la conexión del sur de Texas y el norte de México con mercados internacionales, apoyando a una amplia gama de industrias en toda América del Norte. Vea este reportaje especial de Telemundo sobre el impacto económico que el puerto brinda a las regiones de ambos lados de la frontera EE.UU.-México.