A couple of years ago, the Texas Military Department, under Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's Operation Lone Star, cleared another river island near the town of Fronton, commonly known as Fronton Island.

In addition to providing habitat for endemic plant and animal species along the U.S. Mexico border, the islands carry historical and cultural significance. For the Carrizo Comecrudo Tribe of Texas, they are sites where sacred ceremonies and rituals have taken place.