(LibertyInsider.org) — As tensions escalate, parts of the southern border in Texas are starting to bear an unsettling resemblance to a war zone. Agents in the area conducted a special operation back in August to regain control of the 170-acre Fronton Island in the Rio Grande River previously commandeered by Mexican cartels. This confrontational wave of initiatives underscores the growing seriousness of the ongoing border crisis.
Daily Mail reporter Todd Bensman observed the late-summer operation in person. He reported that a Texas Ranger briefed participating agents, who were armed with M-4 rifles, on potential challenges such as sniper nests and booby traps. The stakes were so high that officials made arrangements for emergency medical evacuations and blood transfusions in advance.
Surveillance cameras captured at least three suspected cartel members sneaking onto Fronton Island earlier in August. While their intentions and identity weren’t immediately clear, a Fox News exclusive report suggested that the heavily armed men might belong to either the Gulf Cartel or Cartel del Noreste.
Fronton Island has served as a haven for border conflicts, drugs, and human trafficking for some time now. It existed for decades as no man’s land for decades, unclaimed by either the American or Mexican government. A state inquiry earlier this year determined that the island did, in fact, fall under US jurisdiction, granting agents the right to move in and oust the cartels.
That Fronton Island is American territory serves as a jarring reminder that cartel activity and tense stand-offs continue to happen in real-time right on home soil. An increasing number of people believe that militarizing border control in this manner is the only adequate response.
The threat of cartel activity isn’t the only concern for border officials. Unauthorized crossings skyrocketed earlier this year to levels not witnessed since spring 2022. The Biden administration responded by deploying 800 troops to areas where CBP officials were struggling to keep up with the influx of migrants.
President Biden also recently signed off on a plan to grant almost 500,000 Venezuelans Temporary Protection Status (TPS). A memo from The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) cites “increased instability and lack of safety” as driving factors in the decision. Those with TPS may not only remain in the US but are also permitted to work while they’re here.
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