The Texas Department of Public Safety and the Texas Military Department are responding to the Texas General Land Commissioner's request for help securing two islands in the Rio Grande.
This week, Dawn Buckingham sent a letter to the Trump Administration saying the islands about 30 miles west of McAllen have been called a "smuggler's paradise."
"The identified island is currently being used by cartels for smuggling operations and stash sites for weapons and other illicit activities … I look forward to U.S. Border Patrol working with TMD to determine the best course of action for collaboration to bring an end to the lawlessness on this section of the border. As you know, Governor Abbott has led Texas’ efforts with Operation Lone Star for many years, therefore I believe Texas can continue to provide valuable operational insight on how best to secure this land," Buckingham wrote in the letter provided by her office.
Buckingham said she wants the Border Patrol to work with the Texas Military Department "to secure and defend a cartel-infested border island." She said a survey by the General Land Office found the islands were within the jurisdiction of Texas and the United States, writing that allows law enforcement to conduct security operations.
The Department of Public Safety and Texas Military Department have released a joint statement calling Buckingham's reports "inaccurate."
"Both DPS and TMD maintain operational control throughout the area where these islands are located. The State of Texas will never cede one square inch of its territory or allow terrorist organizations to gain a foothold to operate in the manner suggested by recent statements," the two organizations said.
Since activating the Texas National Guard and sending DPS troopers to the border in 2021, Gov. Greg Abbott said they have made more than 531,700 apprehensions of people crossing the border illegally and 51,800 criminal arrests leading to 44,100 felony charges. In 2022, Abbott signed an executive order designating cartels as foreign terrorist organizations.
The statement from DPS and the Texas Military Department said both organizations have "carried out operations to clear islands actually 'plagued by cartel violence,'" citing an operation to secure Fronton Island in 2023.
Fronton Island is in the same area as the two islands cited by Buckingham. In 2023, the Texas National Guard says security operations, brush clearing, road construction, and the installation of 1.4 miles of wire "transformed" Fronton Island "from a criminal haven to a safe area of operations to protect Texas from illegal drugs, weapon,s and human trafficking."
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