'Our river is crying': Flowers in the Rio Grande honor migrants who died trying to cross

The border communities of Eagle Pass and Piedras Negras came together for a vigil Monday night to mourn the lives lost crossing the Rio Grande.

A mariachi band played as residents from both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border came up to speak, one by one, and then drop flowers into the water to honor those who have died trying to enter the U.S.

"When I listen to mariachi music, it touches my heart because I know that our culture is friendly, and we are good people," said Eagle Pass resident Jesse Fuentes.

Fuentes said it's been hard to watch people risk their lives to cross — and even harder to watch the recent militarization of the area by Gov. Greg Abbott to stop them, which includes miles of razor wire and a thousand foot string of buoys.

Abbott's actions have been condemned by the U.S. and Mexican governments. He also faces a lawsuit from the Justice Department over the buoys.