![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/GLO-678x381.jpeg\" "\\"GLO\\"\/")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Media release 10\/27\/2026:<\/p>\n
(AUSTIN, TX) \u2014 Today, Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham, M.D.,\u00a0announced that the Texas General Land Office (GLO) has identified nine islands along the Texas-Mexico border, totaling roughly 66 acres, as property belonging to the State of Texas. The determination of these islands by the GLO resolves any uncertainty pertaining to jurisdiction and ensures these strategically located lands can be appropriately accessed, monitored, and protected by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) and the Texas Military Department (TMD).<\/p>\n
Commissioner Buckingham is coordinating with state and federal law enforcement partners to ensure authorities have the necessary coordinates in order to conduct border security operations, address any illegal activity and protect the surrounding communities.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs Texas Land Commissioner, I have a responsibility to protect every acre of state land entrusted to the General Land Office. For years, the ownership of these islands has been uncertain, limiting the ability to ensure they are properly monitored and protected,\u201d said Commissioner Buckingham. \u201cNow that the GLO has confirmed these nine islands belong to the State of Texas, we are notifying our law enforcement partners so that they can gain access to these state-owned properties to patrol, inspect and clear them of any illegal activity they may encounter, consistent with the law. Texas land will never become a safe haven for cartels, human traffickers, smugglers, or other criminal organizations.\u201d<\/p>\n
In her letter to DPS and TMD, Commissioner Buckingham noted:<\/p>\n
\u201cThis effort builds on the GLO\u2019s work to establish ownership of Rio Grande islands and ensure law enforcement can access state-owned property. While we have not confirmed criminal activity on these additional islands, past experience has shown how border islands can be exploited by cartels and smugglers. In 2023, I declared Fronton Island, a 170-acre island in Starr County, state land. Following that declaration, DPS and TMD cleared vegetation through Operation Flat Top, helping disrupt criminal activity at the site.\u201d<\/p>\n
The announcement also marks the culmination of the final pillar, \u201cProtect It\u201d of the GLO\u2019s Texas Engine: Fueled, Fed, and Fortified Initiative.\u00a0The GLO will always remain focused on safeguarding Texas land, supporting law enforcement, and protecting the resources and infrastructure essential to the state\u2019s security.<\/p>\n
In 2023, Commissioner Buckingham declared Fronton Island, a 170-acre island in Starr County, state land. After her declaration, the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) and the Texas Military Department (TMD) cleared the land of vegetation through Operation Flat Top, and crime at this border hotspot was halted dramatically.<\/p>\n
In October 2024, Commissioner Buckingham announced that the GLO had acquired a 1,402-acre ranch\u202falong the Rio Grande at Starr County\u2019s border with Mexico to build the border wall. Less than 24 hours later, Commissioner Buckingham signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the Texas Facilities Commission (TFC), authorizing them to begin state border wall construction.<\/p>\n
In November 2024, she sent the Trump Administration a letter offering the newly acquired land\u202ffor the construction of deportation facilities and staging areas to carry out the Trump Administration\u2019s plans to deport violent criminal illegal immigrants. Paneling on 1.5 miles of border wall was completed on this property in Starr County in January 2025.<\/p>\n
Got a news tip? e-mail us at news@wtaw.com, text us at (979) 695-1620, or reach out on\u00a0Facebook<\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0Twitter\/X<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Media release 10\/27\/2026: (AUSTIN, TX) \u2014 Today, Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham, M.D.,\u00a0announced that the Texas General Land…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":478820,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[132,134,133],"class_list":["post-478819","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-austin","tag-austin","tag-austin-headlines","tag-austin-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/478819","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=478819"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/478819\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/478820"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=478819"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=478819"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=478819"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}