In an official statement, the Secretariat of Foreign Affairs emphasized that the 1970 Boundary Treaty between the two countries establishes that, along the Rio Grande, the international boundary runs through the center of the river’s normal channel.

“This boundary determines sovereignty over the lands on both sides of the border, regardless of any prior sovereignty those lands may have been subject to,” it noted.

The Foreign Ministry further specified that the International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC)—known in Spanish as CILA—is the body authorized by both governments to implement the Treaty and determine on which side of the boundary each island lies; no state authority possesses such a mandate.

Under the agreement, the Ministry added, neither country may construct any works that, in the judgment of the IBWC, could divert or obstruct the river’s natural flow.

Authorities in Texas, United States, have designated nine islands located along the aquatic border between the two nations—specifically in the stretch between Laredo and McAllen—as state property.

In a statement, Dawn Buckingham, the state’s Land Commissioner, authorized the state’s military forces to access these small territories, ostensibly to keep “operational security” along the southern border.

The Secretariat affirmed that Mexico will closely monitor any actions in the area and reiterated its commitment to upholding the treaties that govern the shared border, as well as its commitment to bilateral dialogue through established mechanisms.

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