[1][6] A smaller Fronton Island (Spanish: isla Frontón) is located just upstream on the Mexican side of the border in Miguel Alemán Municipality.

[1] In 1976, the IBWC delineated the international border to the south under the terms of the Boundary Treaty of 1970, placing the island under American jurisdiction.

In 1983, armed fugitives from the Miguel Alemán Municipal Jail hid on the island before their capture, taking advantage of its dense foliage.

[11][12][6] In an interview with Fox News, Commissioner Buckingham characterized this declaration as an addition to the state's land area.

A local botanist raised concern that the Texas Rangers' operation to clear the vegetation would cause the island to erode and wash downstream.