New surveillance videos show a heavily armed cartel presence near the Mexico-Texas border close to Fronton Island, where Texas Department of Public Safety troopers have been working to end cartel activity.
Texas DPS spokesman Chris Olivarez posted footage of suspected cartel operatives exchanging gunfire in a border skirmish and surveillance of more armed cartel members using stash houses in the area surrounding the contested Fronton Island.
As reported by The Dallas Express, Gov. Greg Abbott launched operations on the 170-acre border island earlier this month to prevent the cartels from continuing to use it as a staging area for drug smuggling, human trafficking, and armed incursions into Texas.
In one of the new videos shared by DPS, infrared footage seemingly shows cartel factions firing upon each other between 2 and 3 a.m. on October 14 in the area just south of Fronton, Texas. Muzzle flashes indicate rapid fire between rival squads as the men jockey for advantageous positions.
Additional footage from October 15 and 16 shows cartel agents armed with rifles entering various structures in the area south of Fronton Island.
.@TxDPS Drone captures multiple cartel-related events in Mexico across Fronton, TX. From gun battles between rival cartels to armed cartel operatives seeking refuge in nearby structures along the Rio Grande, the cartels remain a significant threat to public safety & national… pic.twitter.com/EEPFxyOuoT
— Chris Olivarez (@LtChrisOlivarez) October 19, 2023
“[A Texas DPS] Drone captures multiple cartel-related events in Mexico across [from] Fronton, TX,” Olivarez said. “From gun battles between rival cartels to armed cartel operatives seeking refuge in nearby structures along the Rio Grande, the cartels remain a significant threat to public safety & national security.”
This footage is only the latest to show the severity of apparent cartel action in the region surrounding Fronton Island. As reported by The Dallas Express, DPS released footage earlier this week appearing to show heavily armed cartel squads patrolling the area directly across from the recently reclaimed land.
The situation at the Southern border has continued to deteriorate as record numbers of unlawful migrants cross the border under the Biden administration.
The Republican State Leadership Committee, responding to the newly revealed footage, remarked, “Joe Biden and his ‘Border Czar’ Kamala Harris continue to double down on keeping the border open and as a result, dangerous criminals are taking advantage.”
In response to new policies adopted by the Biden administration, Gov. Abbott has redoubled Texas’ independent efforts to secure the border by building walls, deploying water buoys, and working with other governors to deploy National Guard troopers to the region. Additionally, the governor reconvened the Texas Legislature to consider passing additional border security legislation.
The Biden administration, on the other hand, maintains that it has taken unprecedented action to address unlawful migration and has blamed Congress for failing to act on it.
Nevertheless, the region is marked by tragic violence that harms the communities. As reported by The Dallas Express, a Mexican citizen was recently charged with murdering a 30-year law enforcement veteran during a car chase that stretched from South Padre Island to the town of Bonita.
