BLUETOWN – A Bluetown man is taking border protection into his own hands. He said he’s growing tired of seeing an increase of people using his property to cross into the country illegally.

Robert Martinez said his area is a hot spot for people crossing. Two summers ago CHANNEL 5 NEWS reported he came across bundles of clothing left behind by those crossing the Rio Grande.

Since then, he’s been trying different tactics to tackle the issue.

“Why? Because I need it and that’s my property, you know,” he said.

The border town sits roughly a mile north from the Rio Grande.

The nearby canal runs in between Martinez’s home and a wildlife preserve. He’s looking into make it harder to pass through.

Martinez is currently trying to fence off the area. He is in the middle of trying to complete it.

He has a small boat with some logs that is acting like a barricade. Martinez isn’t done constructing his makeshift border fence.

And since he’s put up the additional security measures, he said he’s seen a difference.

He said the fence will act more as a deterrent than an actual blockade. He also placed motion lights around his property, which he said helps keep people away.

Martinez said because people cross through his land, he also deals with Border Patrol on a regular basis. He hopes things will calm down.