Gov. Abbott Refuses Federal Request Over Island Used by Mexico Cartels

The island, located in the Rio Grande between the United States and Mexico, has served as a hotspot for human traffickers and criminal cartels, says the GLO.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott speaks during a news conference about the panhandle wildfires, in Borger, Texas, on March 1, 2024. AP Photo

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said that he will not comply with a request from a federal agency to restore Fronton Island to “pre-construction conditions,” after the Lone Star State took measures to secure the island from cartels.

The International Boundary and Water Commission (USIBWC) had asked for “the installed obstructions such as the concertina wire fence” to be removed to “reestablish the previous ability for water flow into the existing channel north of the island.”