A three-mile-long barrier erected along a bend in the Rio Grande that stands 18 feet high was built with private funds. Steve Bannon and a few other miscreants promoted the 'We Build the Wall' scheme. That money-grabbing scheme resulted in criminal indictments and convictions. Former President Donald Trump pardoned Steve Bannon, who ripped off his supporters. Now, it's useless and abandoned.

The New York Times reports:

Now, the three-mile-long barrier is essentially orphaned, functionally useless — because of a federally constructed border barrier a short distance behind it — and, according to an engineering report commissioned by the Justice Department, at risk of falling over in a major flood and floating away.

And because of its location and construction along the water's edge, federal officials worry that the fence could end up redirecting the Rio Grande in such a way that the land it sits on would end up as part of Mexico.

It was a grift, nothing more.

"The whole thing was stupid," Ryan Patrick, the former U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Texas, said of the fence, whose construction on the edge of the river, he argued, was a violation of a treaty with Mexico. "The erosion began almost immediately," Mr. Patrick said. "I would not be happy if I lived in the vicinity of this thing."

According to the outlet, the fence looks to be slowly shifting. Its base appears to be separating and cracking when viewing it up close. From afar, its evenly spaced posts are visibly misaligned in places. This is a perfect metaphor for Donald Trump.

Defendants in the case include Brian Kolfage, Andrew Badolato, and Timothy Shea. All three are scheduled to be sentenced on January 31, 2023.