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American officials told a Houston newspaper that the Zetas drug cartel may have been involved in a plot to blow up Falcon Dam.

The dam is located on the Rio Grande near the Zapata and Starr County lines.

Law enforcement officials and emergency management officials told the Houston Chronicle that authorities secretly scrambled to prevent the rumored plot.

The Houston Chronicle reported that the Zetas intended to unleash billions of gallons of water to flood the Rio Grande Valley and northern Tamaulipas.

Zapata County Sheriff Sigifredo Gonzalez told the Houston Chronicle that the Zetas planned to blow up the dam to get back at its former ally the Gulf Cartel, not to terrorize civilians.

The Houston newspaper reported that the plot never happened and may have been prevented by the increased presence of the Mexican military south of the border.

Neither Homeland Security nor DPS commented to inquiries from the Houston Chronicle but authorities confirmed that federal, state and local agencies scrambled to perform surveillance and border security duties.

A spokeswoman for Texas Gov. Rick Perry told the Houston Chronicle law enforcement officials routinely monitor all threats to Texas and take the appropriate action to protect citizens.

Starr County Director of Emergency Preparedness Gene Falcon told the Chronicle that the blowing up the dam would have been a disaster.

The Chronicle reported that Mexican drug cartels are known to keep stockpiles of powerful weapons and explosives while some of the Zetas are believed to have demolition training.

The Houston newspaper reported that Mexican law enforcement officials were skeptical of the alleged plot.

Capt. Francisco Garcia with the Roma Police Department told the Houston Chronicle it would take an 18-wheeler full of dynamite to blow up the dam.

“As far as blowing it up — making it fall apart completely — it would have to be something like 9/11,” he said. “By the time they'd start to do something, there will be so much law enforcement there it'd be ridiculous.”