Texas claims border islands used by Mexican cartels, asks Trump admin to secure and defend
Texas has claimed two cartel-infested islands along the Rio Grande as part of an ongoing state effort to eliminate safe havens used by Mexican drug organizations.
In a letter to border czar Tom Homan, Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham requested that the Trump administration secure and defend Beaver Island, a 20.3-arce island in Starr County, Texas, and the Roma Islands.
Both islands have been used by cartels for criminal activity, authorities said. The Roma Islands, which are 12.13 and 20.3 acres respectively, are located near Roma, Texas, and have been called a "smuggler's paradise."
Texas Video Shows Migrant Recalling Assault, Shakedown By Cartels At Border
The Texas General Land Office (GLO), the mapping entity for the state, recently received a request from the Texas Military Department to determine the status of the islands and indicate whether they are a part of Texas.
Read On The Fox News App
The determination will permit law enforcement to conduct security operations in the area.
Several islands dot the Rio Grande along the southern border, with many being used by the drug cartels for criminal activity, such as smuggling operations and stashing weapons, and to evade U.S. and Mexican law enforcement.
"These islands are important because when they're literally in no man's land and they don't belong to any country, then neither country and have law enforcement or the military step on them," Buckingham told Fox News Digital. "So they become safe havens for the cartel."
Feds Likely Eyeing 'Cover-ups' To Bust Mexican Cartels Along Border: Former Dea Agent
The cartels have built structures on the islands where they stash weapons, bombs, drugs and people, she said.
Beaver Island is partly owned by Texas and the federal government, while the Roma Islands are considered Texas land.
Once an island is designated as part of Texas, authorities will clear the area of vegetation, which cartels use to conceal their movements and illegal operations, and throw up razor wire in an effort to get full operational control, said Buckingham.
The move marks the latest by Texas to crack down on cross-border crime and illegal immigration. During the Biden administration, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott launched Operation Lone Star, an aggressive effort to combat the flow of illegal immigrants and drugs into the state from Mexico.
Mexican Immigration Activist Who Hid In Colorado Church For Years To Avoid Deportation Arrested By Ice
In her letter to Homan, Buckingham noted that Fronton Island, a 170-arce formerly lawless island in the Rio Grande, was declared to be part of Texas in 2023.
The densely-wooded area provided concealment for cartel criminal activity and had been a problem for decades, including gunfights and illegal immigration, according to law enforcement officials familiar with the area.
The island was deemed by the TMD and Texas Department of Public Safety as the most dangerous part of the Texas border.
"Besides being the first woman land commissioner Texas has ever had, it's pretty fun also being the first person to make Texas bigger in a few hundred years," Buckingham said of the addition of islands to the state.
She further noted that the Trump administration has been cooperative with Texas authorities, resulting in a 95% reduction in illegal traffic across the border.
"It's completely different than it is now," she said.Original article source: Texas claims border islands used by Mexican cartels, asks Trump admin to secure and defend
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Man arrested after being caught smoking cannabis
A man was arrested after being caught in possession of a significant amount of cannabis. An officer from the Buckingham neighbourhood policing team, PC Deefholts and ICR Response officer PC Moore were conducting patrols in Buckingham. They discovered a group of males smoking cannabis. Upon approaching the group, two made off from officers and one was arrested. Alongside the class B drugs, the man also had other items suspected to be used in aiding drug supply. The male was subsequently arrested on suspicion of being concerned in the supply of a class b drug, namely cannabis. A spokesperson for Thames Valley Police said: 'He has since been bailed pending further enquiries. 'Enquiries are still ongoing to identify the two males that made off. 'Just a quick message to those that make the decision to deal drugs on our patch: Your time will come! We are dedicated to identifying and prosecuting drug suppliers robustly.'
New York Post
2 hours ago
- New York Post
Illegal migrant — not deported despite multiple DUI and domestic violence raps — allegedly kills mom, 11-yr-old daughter in horrific wrong-way crash
An illegal immigrant from Mexico was allegedly drunk behind the wheel of a speeding SUV that crossed into incoming traffic and crashed head-on into a compact car, killing an innocent woman and her bright-eyed 11-year-old daughter, New Jersey authorities said. Raul Luna-Perez, 43, has been living in Red Bank, N.J., since early 2023, federal sources told The Post. When and where he allegedly snuck into the U.S. is not known. The suspect has been roaming free despite two DUI arrests in March and April, and a domestic violence arrest in 2023, according to records. 8 Maria Pleitez and Dayanara Cortes were killed in a head-on crash July 26. 8 Photos from the scene show the mangled front-end of Pleitez's car. Y Smith/TLS 'Governor Murphy and his sanctuary policies released this serial criminal into New Jersey communities,' Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told the Post Friday. 'Now, this innocent family is shattered by their failed leadership. 'President Trump and Secretary Noem will continue to do everything in their power to remove these criminal illegal aliens before they destroy more lives.' Luna-Perez's Dodge Durango slammed into Maria Pleitez's Nissan Sentra in the horrific July 26 wreck in Lakewood, NJ, according to local prosecutors. The 42-year-old mother was killed instantly. Her youngest daughter, Dayanara Cortes, who was sitting in the front passenger seat, perished soon after arriving at the hospital. A second, unidentified 11-year-old girl riding in the back seat at the time of the 11:20 p.m. collision, was also injured and rushed to a local hospital in critical condition. She has since been upgraded to stable. Luna-Perez walked away with minor injuries. His two passengers sustained minor injuries, for which they were treated and released. 8 Raul Luna-Perez is a Mexican national. Ocean County Corrections 8 The crash killed Pleitez instantly, while Dayanara died moments after arriving at the hospital. Y Smith/TLS Because he was showing symptoms of intoxication at the crash scene at Cross Street and Hearthstone Drive, blood was drawn from Luna-Perez at the hospital, authorities said. He was later charged with two counts of vehicular homicide and assault by auto. Charges could be added once prosecutors receive the blood test results. In a sad irony, the mother he allegedly killed immigrated from El Salvador years ago. It is unclear if her children were born in the U.S. A GoFundMe campaign is raising money to pay for the bodies to be transported to El Salvador for burial. 'My aunt was a wonderful woman who worked hard everyday to take of care her 2 daughters,' her niece, Maria Celina Aguilar, wrote on the GoFundMe page, which has raised close to $30,000. The mother and daughter are survived by Dayanara's 16-year-old sister, the niece said. The suspect remains in custody at the Ocean County Jail in Toms River on an active ICE immigration detainer, according to online jail records. 8 Dayanara only recently celebrated her 11th birthday. 8 A photo shows police tape encircling Luna-Perez's crumpled SUV. Y Smith/TLS Luna-Perez has been a scofflaw for years, records show. Why he remained in the U.S. after being charged with crimes multiple times is a mystery. New Jersey prosecutors would not even discuss his immigration status, citing state disclosure laws He was arrested in 2008 by Red Bank cops for disorderly conduct. He was charged with assault on Jan. 2, 2023, following a violent incident in the same shore town. That same month, Luna-Perez was busted — again in Red Bank — for leaving the scene of an accident involving property damage, and failure to report an accident. He was later ordered to pay a $970 fine. His rap sheet includes an arrest in June 2023 for domestic violence. The details surrounding that incident were unavailable. Shockingly, Luna-Perez was twice collared for DUI within a month this year, yet continued to walk — and drive — free. He was busted March 20 after a traffic stop on River Street in Red Bank. On April 17, he was stopped by police and again charged for DUI. Prosecutors said Luna-Perez does not yet have a lawyer. 8 The mother and daughter will be buried in El Salvador. 8 Luna-Perez seemed drunk at the crash scene, authorities said. Y Smith/TLS While Red Bank has never declared itself a 'sanctuary city,' officials there adopted a 2017 resolution stating its support for migrants. Under the direction of Gov. Phil Murphy, New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal issued a directive in 2018, turning the Garden State into a sanctuary state. In recent years, Republican lawmakers have implored Murphy to 'reevaluate' the state's position on the classification. Since 2018, New Jersey has had a statewide Immigrant Trust Directive, with new mandates designed to foster cooperation and 'strengthen trust between law enforcement officers and immigrant communities.' One of those bars police from even questioning suspects about their immigration status.
Politico
9 hours ago
- Politico
Trump issues order imposing new global tariff rates effective Aug. 7
According to the text of the first order, the Trump administration is maintaining its 10 percent so-called baseline tariff on countries where the U.S. has a trade surplus — i.e. it sells more American products to those countries than it imports from them. And it officially imposes the 15 percent rate that Trump agreed to set as part of negotiations with leading trading partners like the European Union, Japan and South Korea. The Philippines, Vietnam and Indonesia also reached tentative agreements with the administration that set their duties at 19-20 percent. Other countries, mainly smaller economies, face far higher rates, topping out at 41 percent for Syria, which is emerging from a civil war, and 40 percent for Myanmar, which is still in the midst of one. The Southeast Asian nation of Laos also faces a 40 percent tariff, and Iraq will be hit with a 35 percent duty. Bigger trading partners like Switzerland also face a significant tariff hike — to 39 percent. Trump also signed a second order raising tariffs on Canada, one of the country's biggest trading partners, from 25 to 35 percent for goods that are not compliant with an existing North American trade deal known as the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement. The senior official told reporters that Canada hasn't 'shown the same level of constructiveness that we've seen from the Mexican side.' Trump announced earlier Thursday that he was maintaining the 25 percent tariff on Mexico for another 90 days after a phone call with their president, Claudia Sheinbaum. Higher tariffs on Canada take effect Friday. The executive actions suggests that Trump decided to punish countries that he did not believe offered enough concessions since the president first threatened to impose his 'reciprocal' tariffs on April 2. 'Some trading partners have agreed to, or are on the verge of agreeing to, meaningful trade and security commitments with the United States, thus signaling their sincere intentions to permanently remedy the trade barriers,' the global order says. 'Other trading partners, despite having engaged in negotiations, have offered terms that, in my judgment, do not sufficiently address imbalances in our trading relationship or have failed to align sufficiently with the United States on economic and national-security matters,' 'There are also some trading partners that have failed to engage in negotiations with the United States or to take adequate steps to align sufficiently with the United States on economic and national security matters,' it continues. White House officials said Thursday night that they expect to strike additional agreements with countries ahead of the new Aug. 7 implementation date for the tariffs. 'We have some deals, and I don't want to get ahead of the president on those deals,' the senior administration official told reporters. 'I'll just say generally, we have more to come.' Taiwan is hoping to be one of those countries. The semiconductor powerhouse faces a 20 percent tariff in a week's time, but in a statement released late Thursday, Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te suggested the rate was 'provisional.' 'Due to the procedural arrangement of the negotiations, the Taiwan-U.S. sides have not yet concluded the final meeting. Therefore, the U.S. has temporarily announced a 20% tariff rate for Taiwan,' President Lai said. 'Once an agreement is reached in the future, there is hope that the tariff rate can be further lowered. Both sides will also continue negotiations on supply chain cooperation and issues related to Section 232 tariffs.'
