Texas Claims Rio Grande Islands to Combat Cartels
Texas expands state control over border islands to prevent cartel use.
2 min read
The Texas government has officially claimed nine islands along the Rio Grande, bringing an additional 66 acres of land under state jurisdiction. This move is aimed at preventing the islands from becoming safe havens for Mexican drug cartels, according to Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham.
Buckingham announced the annexation in a Monday press release, stating, “As Texas Land Commissioner, I have a responsibility to protect every acre of state land entrusted to the General Land Office. For years, the ownership of these islands has been uncertain, limiting the ability to ensure they are properly monitored and protected.” The Texas General Land Office (GLO) confirmed the islands belong to the state, enabling law enforcement to patrol and inspect them for illegal activity.
“Texas land will never become a safe haven for cartels, human traffickers, smugglers, or other criminal organizations,” Buckingham emphasized. The islands are now being made accessible to law enforcement partners to ensure they are cleared of any illicit activity, consistent with the law.
Buckingham is also working with state and federal law enforcement to ensure accurate land navigation coordinates are used during border security operations. This move effectively takes the islands “off the map” for possible cartel use, she said. “It’s kind of making Texas bigger again,” she added.
Texas is getting bigger! Building on our work during the border crisis, we’re claiming nine more islands in the Rio Grande for the State of Texas. We must have operational control of our border — and that means ensuring cartels, smugglers, and human traffickers have no safe haven on Texas soil. Texas land. Texas sovereignty. Texas security. https://t.co/DStdPcPTDH
While there has been no confirmed cartel activity on these specific islands, Buckingham noted that cartels have used other border islands to commit transnational organized crime. The Rio Grande River area remains a hotbed for cartel activity, with the United States deploying 500 troops to the Rio Grande Valley in response to cartel-related incidents, including gunfire at the United States Coast Guard.
Source: Daily Caller
