McALLEN, Texas (Border Report) — U.S. Rep. Monica De La Cruz, R-Texas, has asked the Trump administration to pressure Mexico to pay the water it owes the United States under an international treaty, saying Mexico has made a “feeble attempt” to meet its obligations.
In a letter to U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, De La Cruz wrote: “The most critical issue for our region continues to be the lack of water deliveries from the 1944 Water Treaty.”
“We have seen a feeble attempt to deliver water by the Mexican government this year,” De La Cruz wrote in the letter sent Friday.
De La Cruz represents the South Texas border where last week she told Border Report the citrus industry is being threatened by a lack of water in the Rio Grande because of Mexico’s failure to pay the water it owes.
She told Border Report she spoke with Rollins on Thursday to express the dire situation for the South Texas border. Friday’s letter was a follow up to their conversation.
Mexico owed the United States 1.75 million acre-feet of water by Oct. 25, which ended the latest five-year cycle, under the treaty. But the U.S. International Boundary and Water Commission says Mexico only paid 884,864 acre-feet, according to new data just released.
That’s exactly half of what Mexico owes in water payments to the Rio Grande of South Texas.
Under the 1944 treaty, the United States must pay Mexico 1.5 million acre-feet of water annually via the Colorado River, which experts say the United States always does.
But in the past seven cycles, Mexico has faltered in its payments to the United States.
“This gravely affects South Texans, and ultimately the entire country. If our farmers do not
get consistent water deliveries over the next 6 months, we are at risk of losing our citrus industry, after recently having lost our only sugar mill in Texas,” De La Cruz wrote.
Texas’ only sugar mill shut down in January 2024 after sugar growers didn’t have enough water for the thirsty crops. It was one of only three sugar mills in the country.
But a blow to the South Texas citrus industry could cripple local economies for several border towns, experts say.
De La Cruz says she fears Mexico will declare that drought was to blame for their lack of water payments, like they have done in previous five-year cycles. However, she says if that happens that will extend their time to make water deliveries and it could jeopardize the local citrus industry.
“If the Mexican government declares another drought, our farmers will not get any more water for five years, which will devastate South Texas producers and could create a national crisis,” wrote De La Cruz, who serves on the House Agriculture Committee.
She asked Rollins to request that Mexico send 350,000 acre-feet of water by April. And include the 1944 treaty in the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreements upcoming renegotiation trade talks next year.
Sandra Sanchez can be reached at SSanchez@BorderReport.com.
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