AUSTIN — Today, Commissioner Dawn Buckingham. M.D. authorized the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) and Texas Rangers permission to access the State of Texas owned islands located in the Rio Grande in Maverick County, Texas for the purpose of policing to curb the ongoing border crisis at our southern border.  

“As Land Commissioner, it is my commitment to Texans that the General Land Office (GLO) uses all means available to gain complete operational control of the border, said Commissioner Buckingham. “It is my hope that by granting Texas law enforcement access to these border islands, it will aid in our state’s robust push to control this unprecedented border surge created and fueled by the Biden Administration.” 

The state-owned islands are located in the middle of the Rio Grande in Maverick County, Texas, near Eagle Pass. One island is ½ an acre whereas the other is around 45 acres. Like many of these islands, they were likely created by a buildup of sediment on the river bottom. Eagle Pass has been a hotspot for border crossings.

Illegal border crossings in fiscal year 2022 topped 2.76 million across the country. 

Since the inception of Operation Lone Star, Texas law enforcement has seized over 354 million lethal doses of fentanyl. 

Read Commissioner Buckingham’s Letter to Texas Law Enforcement, here.

Watch Commissioner Buckingham’s exclusive Fox Business appearance, here.

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