Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has gone against President Joe Biden’s order to remove barriers from Fronton Island in the Rio Grande between the United States and Mexico. In 2021, Abbott had officials put up razor wire fencing to prevent illegal border crossings as part of his Operation Lone Star initiative.
On Sept. 9, Abbott sent a letter to the Biden-Harris administration, criticizing its efforts to have the construction taken down.
The letter states: “For years, the cartels were ‘running rampant’ in Fronton Island’s ‘thick vegetation’ and ‘bullet-pocked structures’ along the river to stage illegal entries, surveil state and federal law enforcement, stash weapons, plant explosives, evade apprehension, and engage in open warfare against rival cartels and against state and federal officers.
“As Commander-in-Chief of the military forces of this State, I determined that Texas could not ignore an ongoing invasion of its sovereign territory. Instead, on October 5, 2023, Texas responded to this threat by moving a ‘heavily armed invasion force’ onto Fronton Island to secure it against the transnational criminal cartels. I will not cede state land to transnational criminal cartels smuggling people, weapons, and drugs. Nor will I sit idly by as these threats endanger Texas law enforcement and Texas communities.”
In a post on X, Abbott added, “For years, Fronton Island was overrun with violence. Texas secured it against the cartels. The Biden-Harris Admin now demands that Fronton Island return to its prior condition. Today, I told Biden & Harris that Texas will not comply.”
Abbott has consistently conflicted with Biden over the status of the border. In January 2024, he cited the “right to self-defense” in Texas after the Supreme Court ruled that federal agents could remove the razor wire on the border.
A federal agency with the Biden administration said the construction could alter the Rio Grande’s flow in violation of a 1970 treaty. The agency also mentioned that Texan authorities had trespassed on federal land as part of their operation.
The Biden administration has not commented on Abbott’s Sept. 9 letter.
