In brief
Mexico’s foreign ministry affirmed that the U.S.-Mexico border cannot be altered by a U.S. state government, rejecting Texas’s claim over nine islands in the Rio Grande. The ministry reiterated that sovereignty follows the 1970 boundary treaty and that the International Boundary and Water Commission has sole authority to determine island ownership and river flow. Mexico pledged to monitor the area and uphold the treaty while encouraging dialogue through established mechanisms.
In a statement released Friday, the Mexican Foreign Ministry denied that a U.S. state government could change the country’s border, a move that followed Texas law‑maker Dawn Buckingham’s claim over nine islands in the Rio Grande.
The ministry said the 1970 Mexico‑U.S. Boundary Treaty fixes the international boundary along the river’s center line, and that sovereignty on either side is determined regardless of prior ownership.
"The International Boundary and Water Commission is the body authorized…to carry out the treaty and determine on which side of the boundary each island lies," the ministry noted, stressing that no state‑level government can make such determinations.
It warned that neither side may build works that could alter or obstruct the normal flow of the river, as outlined in the treaty.
Mexico pledged to closely monitor any actions in the area and reiterated its commitment to the treaty, “avoiding unilateral actions that could change river flow,” the ministry said.
While Texas has declared the islands its property, Mexico said it would pursue dialogue through established mechanisms and uphold the agreements between the two countries.
