A steel slat design that President Trump is advocating for the border wall was recently tested by the Department of Homeland Security- proving it could be cut through with a basic saw.
A photo exclusively obtained by NBC News shows the results of the test after 'military and Border Patrol personnel were instructed to attempt to destroy the barriers with common tools.'
Trump inspected the eight steel and concrete prototype walls that were constructed just across the border from Tijuana, settling on the steel slat (bollard) design. Steel bollard fencing has been used under previous administrations.
DHS testing in late 2017 showed all eight prototypes, including the steel slats, were vulnerable to breaching, according to an internal February 2018 U.S. Customs and Border Protection report.
The photo of testing results obtained by NBC News was taken at the testing location along the California-Mexico border, known as "Pogo Row."
"While the design currently being constructed was informed by what we learned in the prototypes, it does not replicate those designs," DHS Spokeswoman Katie Waldman said in a statement. "The steel bollard design is internally reinforced with materials that require time and multiple industrial tools to breach, thereby providing U.S. Border Patrol agents additional response time to affect a successful law enforcement resolution. In the event that one of the steel bollards becomes damaged, it is quick and cost-effective to repair."
Read more at NBC News.