Fronton, Texas (October 11, 2023) – The Center for Immigration Studies embedded with the Texas military and state police, led by Texas Rangers, when they reclaimed Fronton Island from Mexican cartels. This 170-acre island, located in the middle of the Rio Grande river, had long served as a haven for criminal activities, including drug smuggling, human trafficking, and violence against both American law enforcement and Fronton residents. The island’s uncertain ownership had enabled the cartels to operate with impunity, allowing them to evade law enforcement on both sides of the border while stashing drugs, weapons, and cash. 

The operation to secure and hold the island involved meticulous planning, with law enforcement officers facing potential booby traps and sharpshooters perched on the Mexican side of the river. Texas made a decisive move to combat the activities of violent Mexican cartels, but they will now need to hold the island. Cartels control the Mexican heights overlooking the island and are equipped with military-grade weaponry and strategic sniper positions. 

“Among Texas operations, this one is unusual because it confronts heavily militarized cartels in the most direct and prolonged manner, posing higher ongoing risks to state law enforcement and military personnel,” stated Todd Bensman, the Center’s senior national security fellow who embedded with Texas law enforcement. “These cartels have shown little restraint in shooting at and hitting police officers on the American side in the past.”  

In the coming months, this operation will warrant close attention, especially because it highlights the alarming presence of Mexican cartels operating not just in close proximity to our country, but within our own territory.