OTAY MESA, Calif. – A solar-paneled barrier along the U.S.-Mexico border is an option the Trump administration could pursue, according to a senior Customs and Border Protection official who has been closely monitoring the construction of prototypes that are meant to inspire a design for President Trump’s border wall.

Mario Villarreal, the newly appointed division chief for CBP’s San Diego field office, is enjoying his front-row seat to history as President Trump’s border wall continues to stir controversy 3,000 miles away in Washington.