President Donald Trump issued a stern warning to Mexico on Thursday, threatening tariffs and potential sanctions if the country continues to withhold critical water supplies owed to Texas farmers under a longstanding agreement.
In a statement posted to Truth Social, Trump claimed Mexico is violating the 1944 Water Treaty by failing to deliver 1.3 million acre-feet of water to the U.S., a shortfall he said is severely damaging South Texas agriculture.
“This is very unfair, and it is hurting South Texas farmers very badly,” Trump wrote. “Last year, the only sugar mill in Texas closed because Mexico has been stealing the water from Texas farmers. Ted Cruz has been leading the fight to get South Texas the water it is owed, but Sleepy Joe refused to lift a finger to help the farmers. THAT ENDS NOW!”
Trump emphasized that he will enforce the treaty and prevent Mexico from depriving Texas of its rightful water supply. He added that he recently stopped water deliveries to Tijuana as leverage in the ongoing dispute.
“My Agriculture Secretary, Brooke Rollins, is standing up for Texas farmers, and we will keep escalating consequences—including TARIFFS and maybe even SANCTIONS—until Mexico honors the treaty and gives Texas the water they are owed!” Trump declared.
Texas agriculture groups have been raising alarms about the worsening situation, warning of a potentially devastating season for citrus and sugar crops due to the lack of irrigation. The 1944 treaty mandates that Mexico deliver 1.75 million acre-feet of water to the U.S. over a five-year period, but recent drought conditions have led to one of the most serious shortfalls in decades.
The Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs also took a firm stance, announcing last month that it had denied a Mexican request for a special water delivery from the Colorado River to Tijuana, citing ongoing noncompliance with the treaty.
“Mexico’s continued shortfalls in its water deliveries under the 1944 water-sharing treaty are decimating American agriculture—particularly farmers in the Rio Grande Valley,” the Bureau posted on X.
Senator Ted Cruz echoed those concerns, calling the situation in South Texas a “man-made crisis” and vowing to continue pressuring Mexico to comply with the treaty.
“Texas farmers are in crisis because of Mexico’s noncompliance,” Cruz wrote. “I will work with the Trump administration to pressure Mexico into complying and to get water to Texas farmers.”
Texas, the third-largest citrus-producing state behind California and Florida, relies heavily on water from the Rio Grande for its $500 million citrus industry—especially during increasingly severe drought conditions.
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