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                                   EXHIBIT 99

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:   Rosanne Palacios                      Judy Wawroski
           Vice President of Marketing           Vice President
           International Bancshares              International Bancshares
             Corporation                           Corporation
           (956) 726-6636 (Laredo)               (956) 722-7611 (Laredo)


                   IMELDA NAVARRO CLIMBS IBC CORPORATE LADDER

(September 27, 2002) LAREDO, TX - Imelda Navarro, Senior Executive Vice
President at International Bank of Commerce (IBC) - Laredo, has been elected
to the board of directors of IBC-Laredo and to the board of directors of
IBC's parent company, International Bancshares Corporation (NASDAQ: IBOC).
Navarro has reached a high level of corporate success after beginning her
career with the bank at an entry-level clerical position.  She currently
serves as Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer for IBC-Laredo.
She also manages accounting operations for International Bancshares
Corporation.

"Imelda has been an integral part of our company's success and has developed
great insight into our operating philosophy and growth strategies," said
Dennis E. Nixon, Chairman of the Board and CEO of International Bancshares
Corporation.  "Imelda is well deserving of this responsibility and her
election to the board shows recognition by our board members of her excellent
management abilities and outstanding contributions to IBC."

Navarro has been an IBC employee for more than 25 years.  She began working
at IBC as a file clerk at the age of 16, while she was participating in a
vocational program offered by Nixon High School in Laredo. After graduating
from high school, Navarro continued working for IBC on a part-time basis
while she attended Laredo State University where she became a cum laude
graduate with a B.B.A. in Accounting.  Throughout her career, Navarro has
increased her knowledge of retail and commercial banking, fueling her rise
through the corporate ranks.

Navarro has consistently devoted a great deal of her time to charitable
projects and civic organizations. Over the years, she has been a board member
of the Laredo Chamber of Commerce, the Domestic Violence Coalition, the
Executive Club, and La Casa de Misericordia.  She also has served on the
Laredo Commission for Women, the advisory board of Mercy Regional Medical
Center, and as chairperson for the Laredo Center for the Arts.  In addition,
she has been president of Laredo Business, the Professional Women's
Association, Financial Women International and the Borderfest celebration.

IBC-Laredo is a member of International Bancshares Corporation (NASDAQ:
IBOC), a $6.7 billion multi-bank financial holding company headquartered in
Laredo, Texas with more than 100 facilities and more than 190 ATMs serving
more than 35 communities, including Houston, San Antonio, Corpus Christi,
McAllen, Brownsville, Port Lavaca, Zapata, Eagle Pass and several others in
the central, southern and Gulf Coast regions of Texas.

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