Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham has sent a cease and desist letter to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and a contractor working on border wall construction, alleging illegal entry and unauthorized clearing of more than a mile of state land near the Rio Grande.

Background

The Texas General Land Office (GLO) stated that federal contractor Barnard Construction illegally entered and cleared state land in Presidio County without permission. The land at issue also partly falls under Hudspeth County.

The Texas GLO said its leases don’t allow land modifications, excavations, or construction without the office’s written consent. Commissioner Buckingham emphasized that significant grazing acreage was disrupted by this unauthorized activity, devaluing the lease and diminishing the ability to generate future revenue for the schoolchildren of Texas.

Response

The letter included a map with areas that match an online property sale listing for the Moody Bennett Ranch, which extends across Hudspeth, Jeff Davis, and Presidio counties. Trans Pecos Ice LLC, the owner of parcels in the area, has been told they’re in breach of their lease agreement for allowing unauthorized access.

The GLO demanded any and all state land damaged by the reported activity be restored to its original condition. Barnard was asked to work with the CBP and lessee to develop a reclamation proposal plan for the GLO to approve.

Texas State Senator Cesar Blanco shared his support for Buckingham’s letter, stating that it’s an essential step toward protecting Texas’ sovereignty and ensuring proper oversight.

Original reporting: El Paso News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.