CAMERON COUNTY

A man already being held at the Carrisalez-Rucker Detention Center in Olmito for allegedly committing a murder in Harlingen, has been charged with another murder that occurred outside the Harlingen city limits, authorities said.

Cameron County Judge Eddie Trevino Jr. held a press conference at commissioners court chambers Tuesday afternoon to address what he said were inaccurate “complaints, allegations and comments” made by county Sheriff Eric Garza at a Sept. 22 press conference at sheriff’s department headquarters in Olmito. Once the 2023 fiscal year starts Oct. 1, the sheriff’s department will have seen 9 percent budget increase since 2018, Trevino said. “Those inmates had been a source of revenue for the county and the sheriff’s office for many, many, many years,” Trevino said. “In mid-budget-year 2021-2022 we were looking at a deficit of between $3 million and $5 million as a result of the loss of the federal inmates and Hidalgo County inmates,” Trevino said. Even with the 50 eliminated jail positions there are still 20 vacant jail positions, he said, adding that as of Oct. 24 addition jail positions will be “unfrozen,” leaving 44 vacant positions in the jail division.

Cameron County sheriff’s deputies have arrested a man who became outraged and allegedly killed two small kittens.

Cameron County Commissioners Court on Tuesday will consider whether to name the Sheriff’s Department Administration Building after the late sheriff Omar Lucio, who passed away earlier this year.

Searching for language strong enough to adequately make his point, County Judge Eddie Trevino implored Cameron County residents on Friday to complete an internet connectivity survey that he said is critical to the county’s future. In coming weeks the county will distribute flyers detailing how to complete the survey, which is accessible on the county website, cameroncountytx.gov. The website features a YouTube video that explains the survey, a QR code to scan with your phone to take the survey, or tiny url that takes you to the survey. … It’s critical that we all participate for the future of our county,” Trevino said at a mid-morning news conference. “We’ve been woefully under-counted for 60, 70, 80 years and we’ve missed out on billions upon billions of dollars because we weren’t properly counted.

“The Cameron County Sheriff’s Office and County Jail are here to serve and protect the community, not to be a revenue stream to supplement and balance the county budget,” Garza said Thursday. Garza said his department asked Commissioners Court to unfreeze positions but was repeatedly denied, only to find out recently that the positions had been eliminated entirely. “I was elected by the people of Cameron County to represent them,” Garza said. “This latest action by Commissioners Court to de-fund law enforcement … is about political power. …We will continue to fight for the safety and security of the citizens of Cameron County and will look at all legal options to protect the community.”[email protected]

Offering to let a man stay in his home for two months ended up being a wrong decision by the homeowner after the man made off with his television, police said. The man, David Gilberto Morales, 22, told Cameron County sheriff’s deputies that he stole the television so he could buy drugs, the sheriff’s department said in a press release. Sheriff’s deputies responded to the 6800 block of Royal Palm Drive in Brownsville Sunday in reference to a theft case. The victim’s brother stated he saw a man offering the television to other neighbors. Morales was still in the area and sheriff’s deputies were able to question him, according to the press release.

A 20-year-old man who believed his common-law wife was cheating on him is accused of assaulting her and then taking out his anger on one of her puppies, killing it by throwing it against cement, Cameron County sheriff’s authorities said.

A portion of Del Mar Boulevard near Boca Chica beach will be another road Cameron County Commissioners Court has voted to abandon at the request of SpaceX.

A state district judge in Cameron County has issued a summary judgment in a case brought against the Catholic Diocese of Brownsville that alleged church officials tried to protect a priest accused in the alleged sexual assault of two siblings.

Cameron County plans to install some new technology at the Veterans International Bridge in Brownsville and the Free Trade Bridge at Los Indios that can help stop vehicles fleeing from the United States into Mexico. The Grab-350 Integrated Vehicle Barrier System will allow officers at the international bridges to activate a netting system that will pop up and act as a barrier to stop the vehicle in its tracks. The barrier system for both bridges will cost an estimated $2,179,903, documents indicate. The incident happened at the Veterans International Bridge in Brownsville, according to the press release. “This will allow the technology to help with vehicles that are crossing illegal cash, illegal proceeds, guns, other weapons and stolen vehicles, and missing and wanted people into Mexico,” Bazzano said.

That question was raised in the final moments of a solemn ceremony Friday, as Cameron County hosted a ceremony to remember the victims and heroes of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States. “It’s hard to believe,” Cameron County Judge Eddie Trevino said. “And then what happened the rest of that day and days is why we are here today. It turns out it was just a terrible accident, but the timing couldn’t have been worse.”What happenened after 9/11, the judge asked? “The events of Sept. 11 has changed our lives,” Ruiz said.

Cameron County health officials on Wednesday confirmed a second case of monkeypox in the county. The case is travel related and not related to the first case reported in August, according to officials, Cameron County Public Health stated in a media release. The person is currently under home isolation and is being monitored by public health officials. As part of the monkeypox response plan, Cameron County Public Health is conducting the epidemiological investigation to identify others who may have been exposed. Cameron County Public Health will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as they are received.

In the letter to the editor of Aug. 1, “Voter switch spurs comment,” It seems the writer insulted all residents not only in suburban areas but also in Cameron County, considering there are no suburbs in the Valley, by referring to them as having a ridiculously short attention span by asking why they had voted one way in previous elections.

Cameron County commissioners have rejected a request for $5,000 raises to two justices of the peace.

As students in the Uvalde School District return to the classes Tuesday for their first day of school, many school districts in Cameron County are showing support for the district. Students, staff and others in the Brownsville, Harlingen, San Benito, Santa Maria, La Feria, Los Fresnos and Point Isabel school districts are encouraged to wear maroon or maroon and white Tuesday to show their support to for the Uvalde students and staff. “Let’s show our love and support to the Uvalde community,” Point Isabel Independent School District posted on its Facebook page. On May 24, 19 students and two teachers were gunned down in their Robb Elementary school classrooms by an 18-year-old armed with assault style rifle. Robb Elementary School is expected to be demolished, the city’s mayor said in late June.

32 East Loop Project is officially part of the $85 billion, 10-year statewide Transportation Program announced by the Texas Department of Transportation on Wednesday. The UTP is a planning document used to authorize highway projects for development and construction. The East Loop will connect the Port of Brownsville with Veterans Bridge at Los Tomates via the recently opened South Port Connector at S.H. The total cost of the project is about $113.4 million, according to County Administrator Peter Sepulveda Jr. For Cameron County’s part, “we fared very well and we’re continuing developing the projects, making progress, so that next year we can start closing the funding gaps on different projects,” Sepulveda said.

Cameron County residents living in rural parts of the county serviced by Republic Services for solid waste collection will see an increase in the service.

Cameron County Commissioners Court Tuesday was able to balance the 2022-2023 fiscal year budget without having to raise taxes but raises department heads sought for their employees and new positions were not included in the budget.

Less than a month after 53-year-old Hector Martinez Jr., of Brownsville, was accused of striking a 6-year-old boy with his vehicle on South Padre Island that left him dead, a Cameron County grand jury indicted Martinez on an intoxication manslaughter charge.

As Cameron County Commissioner Court continues to address about a $5 million deficit and how to balance the 2022-2023 fiscal budget, two elected officials are seeking higher pay and the court will schedule a date for their grievance hearings.

A Cameron County jury on Friday found a Los Fresnos man guilty of 19 counts of animal cruelty charges, officials said. The one-week trial was heard before Cameron County Court-at-Law No. How fitting the jury’s verdict was today on National Dog Day,” District Attorney Luis V. Saenz said in a press release. According to the press release, Cameron County Sheriff’s Department was dispatched to assist the Cameron County Animal Control in conducting a follow-up investigation. Throughout the investigation, they encountered a foul smell at the location, which was a warehouse, officials said.

The deficit is attributed to a drop in revenue from the courts, rise in gas costs, insurance costs, and the loss of funding from non-county inmates who had been housed in the county jail. Commissioners learned at Tuesday’s Commissioners Court meeting that what the county is paying in drug prescriptions for the inmates is a high amount since the cost of prescription drugs is skyrocketing across the nation. Precinct 3 Commissioner David Garza said you would think the medical services the county pays for the inmates would decrease since the county is no longer housing federal inmates. Xavier E. Villarreal, deputy county administrator, said the infirmary is having the same issue as the county’s health insurance plan. The company providing the meals to the inmates had to increase personnel to distribute the meals and added to the costs being billed to the county.

A Cameron County sheriff’s deputy unknowingly drove into Mexico while pursuing a truck that failed to pull over for questioning, the sheriff’s department said in a press release.

Cameron County Commissioners Court will hold a special meeting Wednesday to continue discussions on the 2022-2023 fiscal budget, plus the possibility of unfreezing some positions at the county’s sheriff’s department.

Cameron County employees under the county’s new health care plan will get the chance to travel to Mexico to seek medical treatment with a preferred provider without having to pay any out-of-pocket cost beginning Oct. 1.

Unusual questions were presented to Cameron County Elections Administrator Remi Garza during last week’s county commissioners court meeting. The questions were asked by Cameron County Precinct 3 Commissioner David Garza following last week’s resignation of employees at the Gillespie County elections office who said they had been threatened and stalked. Former Gillespie County Elections Administrator Anissa Herrera told the Fredericksburg Standard-Radio Post last week that after the 2020 election she was threatened, stalked, and called out on social media. “Our democracy would not work without each and every one of them here in Cameron County and throughout the entire country. “We run our elections fairly, correctly and impartially,” here in Cameron County, Trevino said.

With a tropical disturbance expected to bring heavy rain into Cameron County Saturday or Saturday evening, the county and city of Brownsville will hold sandbag distribution events beginning at 7 a.m. Saturday. Cameron County will be distributing sandbags from 7 a.m. until noon at the following locations:>>Pct. 1 County Warehouse, 2050 S. Browne Ave., in Brownsville>>Pct. 2 County Warehouse, 7092 Old Alice Rd., in Brownsville>>Pct. 4 County Warehouse, 26623 White Ranch Road, La FeriaSandbag distributions may be discontinued at the county’s discretion.

Securing the nation’s borders is the top priority of the U.S. Border Patrol. However, with a continuous influx of undocumented immigrants crossing the Mexico-Texas border and the agents being tied up in processing them, agents patrolling Cameron County need additional help, they argue.

A year after a Brownsville man was kidnapped and killed, one of three suspects has been found guilty on one count of murder and another charge.

Judge René E. De Coss set bonds for Rodrigo Rivera Jr., 18, of Brownsville, after finding probable cause on all charges against him, according to authorities. De Cos also found probable cause and set bonds totaling $7,000 for Carlos Castellano, 17, a Porter student who was being dropped off when the incident began at about 8:44 Tuesday morning, according to authorities. During the arraignment Rivera asked why he was being charged with assault with a deadly weapon when he didn’t have a gun. I didn’t have no weapon, why am I being charged with a deadly weapon?” Rivera asked. Castellano was assessed bonds of $5,000 for vehicle theft and $2,000 for possession of a controlled substance, Xanax.

Cameron County is reporting its first case of monkeypox that could also be the first case of monkeypox in the Rio Grande Valley. Cameron County Public Health announced Tuesday it received confirmation of the first case of monkeypox in its jurisdiction. According to the county health department, the person did not report any recent travel out of the area. The county health department reports the person is currently under isolation at home and being monitored by the health department. According to Cameron County Public Health, the department has implemented their monkeypox action response plan and is conducting the epidemiological investigation.

The Cameron County Sheriff’s Department has come up with solutions on how to address overtime hours in the department along with the cost of feeding inmates in the county jails.

With the deadline to balance the 2022-2023 fiscal year budget drawing closer, Cameron County Commissioners Court will meet again Tuesday to continue budget discussions. Budget discussions have been taking place over the last three weeks as commissioners attempt to balance a budget that has a $5.2 million deficit. The $1.9 million cost to feed inmates is in part due to when COVID-19 started to affect the county about two years. Commissioners Court is also dealing with requests from department heads seeking raises for their employees, plus the hiring of additional personnel. The agreement would allow the county to run these elections on the same day as the Nov. 8 general election.

HARLINGEN — Classes opened Monday as city and school officials continued negotiating a proposed agreement aimed at providing the district with heightened security amid community concerns. “The city attorney’s still reviewing the agreement with the school district attorney. Teaming up with Primera, CombesNow, district officials are negotiating with Primera and Combes to draft agreements in which the cities would allow their off-duty officers to work school security. Reinstating past contractFor years, city and school officials have entered into annual agreements through which the city assigns four full-time officers to the district, which pays their salaries. Along with the city’s four full-time officers and five part-time officers, the school district assigns 50 security officers to work under Castillo, a former Harlingen police chief and city commissioner, Brianna Vela Garcia, the district’s spokeswoman, said.

State sales tax allocations released in August show a downward trend in the Rio Grande Valley. Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar announced Wednesday he will send cities, counties, transit systems and special purpose taxing districts $1.2 billion in local sales tax allocations for August, 10.8 percent more than in August 2021. The allocations are based on sales made in June by businesses that report tax monthly and on sales made in April, May and June by quarterly filers. While most of these numbers are positive, they are below the double-digit increases most Valley cities have been seeing almost monthly for the past year. Pharr was the only big city in the county to drop from a year ago, down 6.96 percent.

Interlocal agreements between the Harlingen School District, the Cameron County Sheriff’s Department and Cameron County Constables Pct. 3 will allow off duty officers with these agencies to provide security at Harlingen schools. 4 Commissioner Gus Ruiz asked that the interlocal agreement be signed and delivered to the district quickly since the Harlingen school district starts classes Monday. The Harlingen School District will be required to pay the off-duty officers for their services via a rotational pool. School principals or school district professional employees will be required to report serious crimes to the deputies or constables.

A groundbreaking ceremony was held Friday morning at Veterans International Bridge at Los Tomates for a Donations Acceptance Program project that will improve the flow of passenger vehicles between Brownsville and Matamoros and on I-69E. Cameron County, which owns Veterans International Bridge along with the city of Brownsville, announced in March 2021 that the DAP agreement with CBP had been executed. Currently only two northbound lanes are available for passenger vehicles at Veterans bridge. The bridge project is considered a regional, national and international “project of significance” that will increase border trade in the area in addition to reducing congestion, according to county officials. On hand for the groundbreaking and “celebration of successful partnerships” were Cameron County Judge Eddie Trevino Jr. and Brownsville CBP Port Director Tater Ortiz, along with other representatives from CBP, Cameron County Commissioners Court, Cameron County Regional Mobility Authority and the U.S. General Services Administration.

Cameron County Commissioners Court made it clear Tuesday that they want Sheriff Eric Garza involved in discussions about solutions pertaining to its budget shortfall.

Longer term plans for addressing drought were discussed, however, and included calls for more brackish groundwater desalination facilities and upgrades to antiquated irrigation infrastructure that results in excessive water loss. One acre-foot is how much water it takes to cover one acre of land in one foot of water. Ironically, water conservation can lead to wasted water in some instances, as Harlingen Waterworks System General Manager Tim Skoglund pointed out. Out in the extremities of a long water system with many dead ends like Harlingen’s, flushing is required when the disinfectant falls to a certain level, Skoglund said. Steven Sanchez, general manager of North Alamo Water Supply Corporation in Edinburg, advised every water supplier at the meeting to pursue brackish groundwater desalination projects to ensure adequate water in future droughts.

It was during Tuesday’s budget talks that commissioners received information pertaining to overtime pay at the sheriff’s department from Xavier Villarreal, deputy county administrator and budget officer. Precinct 3 County Commissioner David Garza added up the figures saying about $6.6 million is used for the operations of the sheriff’s department. In an earlier interview, Sheriff Eric Garza said he was losing employees who were going to other agencies for higher pay. Many stated they are losing employees to other agencies that are paying them more than they are making with the county. Esmeralda Guajardo, health administrator for the county’s Health Department, at an earlier meeting said she was losing employees who are going over to work for the Department of State Health Services.

In some U.S. cities, rich families and poor families might never interact. That could negatively impact how much money children in those cities earn as adults.

Innovative changes by the Cameron County Tax Assessor-Collector’s office in response to the pandemic have earned the county honors in the form of a 2022 National Achievement Award from the National Association of Counties. “We looked for abandoned banks with drive-through lanes. “We offered our services at the same time we were constructing and obtaining drive-through lanes,” he said. “We’re one of the very few in the state of Texas that has a 100 percent consolidated tax office. In addition to paying property taxes, county residents can renew their vehicle registration at any of the sites, he said.

The risk of wildfires will shoot up across the Rio Grande Valley on Monday, with coastal Cameron County rising to “very high” on the fire scale. In the Valley this week, temperatures will range from the mid-90s to as high as 107, accompanied by strong breezes from the southeast. While some rain, in places heavy, occurred last week in the Harlingen area and up through Combes, most of the region has moved from the “abnormally dry” classification to “moderate drought” conditions. Only the coastal strip of Cameron and Willacy counties remains in the abnormally dry category. Cameron, Willacy and Hidalgo are not among them.

COVID-19 hospitalizations throughout the Rio Grande Valley continued their rise this week, ending July with a 58.7% increase in hospitalizations since the beginning of the month.

Cameron County is one of four Texas counties randomly selected to be audited in the 2020-2022 Election Audit Cycle.

As Cameron County Commissioners Court continues to work on its 2022-2023 fiscal year budget, they learned of added expenditures that will be included in this year’s budget. County Judge Eddie Trevino Jr. questioned why the increase was so much, during Tuesday’s Cameron County Commissioners Court meeting where the commission discussed the budget. Several department heads attended last week’s Commissioners Court meeting seeking either additional employees or raises for their employees. Wouldn’t it be great …for every single county employee to say, ‘I love working for the county, for Cameron County because they take care of us’,” Garcia said. County budget talks will continue through the rest of the month.

Speeding up wait times to pay taxes is something Cameron County Tax Assessor-Collector Tony Yzaguirre Jr. is banking on.

BROWNSVILLE —A “mishandled” Harlingen Police Department investigation stopped the Cameron County District Attorney’s Office from trying a man charged with capital murder, District Attorney Luis Saenz stated Wednesday.

BROWNSVILLE —A “mishandled” Harlingen Police Department investigation stopped the Cameron County District Attorney’s Office from trying a man charged with capital murder, District Attorney Luis Saenz stated Wednesday. Jose Isaias Soto Martinez faced a capital murder charge in the March 2021 stabbing death of Eric Armstrong, 63, of Harlingen. On Wednesday, Saenz stated the Harlingen Police Department “mishandled” the investigation. ‘Mishandled’ investigation“It is unfortunate that we were unable to try the case of Jose Isaias Soto Martinez to verdict,” Saenz stated. A month later, a Cameron County grand jury indicted Soto Martinez on one count of capital murder by terror/threat and one count of murder enhancement.

Mayra Flores, a Republican, won a special election to fill the unexpired term of U.S. Rep. Filemon Vela. Another election will be held in November.

The Cameron County Sheriff’s Office is searching for a missing 81-year-old man who is diagnosed with cognitive impairment and whose disappearance poses a credible threat to his own health and safety.

Designed more than a century ago, the Rio Grande Valley’s canal system in South Texas was built to irrigate the booming agricultural industry that once dominated the local economy.

In a story published Oct. 9, 2021, about Allen West being diagnosed with COVID-19 pneumonia, The Associated Press misspelled Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s last name in two references in the story and once in the summary.

Congressional Democrats are going bigger than ever on the environment, with a spending package they're trying to muscle through.

On Tuesday, Elon Musk said on Twitter that he would donate $20 million to Cameron County schools and $10 million to the City of Brownsville for “downtown revitalization.” The CEO of Tesla and SpaceX said he would release more details next week.

Mountain lions, like this one pictured on the US Forest Service website, are not known for consuming human flesh. HARLINGEN, Texas – A mountain lion was hit and killed by a car traveling near Highway 77 in Cameron County in the Rio Grande Valley over the weekend, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department officials said. According to a statement from TPWD provided to KSAT, the mountain lion was killed north of Harlingen. He said when a young mountain lion does that it can go as far as 300 miles from where it was born. And that’s really important to remember.”To date, officials have reported two mountain lion sightings in Cameron County within the last year and 36 across the state.

Cameron County residents line up in the early hours of the morning to receive the COVID-19 vaccine at a drive-in distribution site in Los Fresnos. Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas TribuneNeed to stay updated on coronavirus news in Texas? Almost a year into the pandemic, COVID-19 is still rampant across the state. While doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have begun to arrive — and more are coming — it will be months still before it is broadly available to the public. And for the latest news on the coronavirus pandemic, you can sign up for our newsletter here.

BROWNSVILLE, Texas – Efforts by officials in one South Texas county to delay the start of face-to-face classes due to the coronavirus pandemic could face a legal challenge on claims of religious freedom. But attorneys for two private religious schools have told the county that the order is unlawful and goes against Republican Gov. Cameron County Judge Eddie Treviño Jr. said First Liberty is misconstruing the county’s order regarding schools as an attack on religious freedom. The number of reported coronavirus cases in Texas increased by 3,493 and there were 104 more deaths due to COVID-19, the illness caused by the virus, Texas health officials reported Sunday. State health officials reported 114,391 active cases of the virus and that 451,776 people have recovered.

HOUSTON – Officials in South Texas, hit by the coronavirus pandemic in recent weeks, said Friday they’re also prepared to handle any challenges from Tropical Storm Hanna, which was headed their way and expected to strengthen into a hurricane before making landfall this weekend. Nueces County Judge Barbara Canales said she understands that the tropical storm would exacerbate already difficult times the county, which has about 362,000 residents, has been experiencing during the pandemic. South Texas officials' plans for any possible rescues, shelters and monitoring of the storm will have the pandemic in mind. In the Mexican city of Matamoros, located across the border from Brownsville, volunteers worried whether the tropical storm would impact a makeshift migrant camp near the Rio Grande River. Greg Abbott has announced that various resources to respond to the tropical storm are on standby across the state, including search-and-rescue teams and aircraft.

SAN ANTONIO – Hospitals across the Rio Grande Valley have been at capacity and are making major adjustments to treat COVID-19 patients. Dr. Christopher Romero with Valley Baptist Medical Center said they have to get creative to make space for patients. Romero said EMS units are waiting with COVID-19 patients for a long time because there’s no room in the hospital. “The Rio Grande Valley, we have a lot of obesity. And these are risk factors for having more severe disease and worse outcomes with COVID-19,” Romero said.

SAN ANTONIO – Medina Lake Park in Bandera County will be closed this Fourth of July weekend due to the coronavirus pandemic. The park, which is operated by the county, will stay closed until Wednesday, July 8, due to the virus, according to officials. The boat ramp at the park will also be closed to the public. Medina Lake Park is just one of the dozens of recreational areas in Central and South Texas that will not be open during the biggest holiday of the summer due to the virus. Cameron County, which includes South Padre Island, has also announced all county parks and county beaches will be closed over the weekend.

Cameron County, Tx – Cameron County announced Monday that effective at 7 p.m., Tuesday, June 30, all County Parks and County Beach access area will be closed. Cameron County Judge Eddie Treviño Jr. has ordered the closure of county parks and beach access areas until 12:01 a.m. on July 13. The Department of Health and Human Services has reported 2,183 cases in Cameron County as of June 29. The closure of the parks does not affect parks and beach accesses that are owned and operated privately. The following parks and beach access areas will be closed to the public: