RIO GRANDE CITY

Authorities in Rio Grande City are investigating a school bus crash that happened Monday morning near an elementary school.

Authorities in Rio Grande City are investigating a school bus crash that happened Monday morning near an elementary school. Aside from the bus driver, the bus was carrying four Grulla Middle School students and four students from La Union Elementary. “Paramedics arrived on the scene to check our students and driver and provide medical attention, but none were transported for further care,” the district stated. That child is enrolled in a neighboring school district and had lacerations to his forehead, according to the release. “Some parents did take the students to the physician of their choice as a precautionary measure,” the release stated.

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PHARR — PSJA North’s reign as outright District 15-5A DI champions is officially underway after the Raiders picked up a 57-0 win over Rio Grande City on Thursday at PSJA Stadium. The district title is the program’s first since 2008 when the Raiders finished as co-champions with an 8-4 overall record. It’s the sixth time PSJA North has been crowned district champions since the school began competing in varsity sports in 1992. PSJA North has outscored its opponents 457-86 through its 10 games this season. We’re going into the playoffs and we’re going to keep working every practice, keep showing up, and keep working as a team.”[email protected]

A man from El Salvador was arrested Friday after allegedly striking a Border Patrol agent who was patrolling an area near Rio Grande City during a struggle, according to a criminal complaint. During the pursuit, the agent found Aguirre and grabbed him by the back of his shirt and they began to struggle, the complaint said. Aguirre allegedly struck the agent on the side of the head and both men fell to the ground. The agent then called for help. That was when Texas Military Department members stepped in to assist the agent and finally subdued and handcuffed Aguirre, the complaint said.

A group of marijuana smugglers brought in 463 pounds of the drug on a raft into the United States from Mexico.

“It’s the largest grant that Starr County has gotten,” Cuellar said after the announcement. “I’m excited about this because it’s going to help colonias in Starr County with water pressure and quality of water. More than 2,000 residents of colonias in Starr County Precinct 1, which is located between Roma and Rio Grande City, will see the effects from the grant. Starr County Judge Eloy Vera was pleased about the grant, which also happens to be the largest grant that the county has ever received. “But if you don’t have the right water pressure or the boosters that make sure that you have the pressure, then it makes a big difference.

Rio Grande City commissioners placed their city secretary, who was arrested last week on money laundering charges, on administrative leave without pay following a special meeting Monday. Melissa Anne Garza, the city secretary, was arrested on Thursday on two money laundering charges related to the drug trafficking ring allegedly led by her husband, Ignacio ‘Nacho’ Garza. The special meeting was called Friday after the city said in a social media post that it was not able to confirm any facts related to an investigation involving Garza. Garza was releasedCommissioners went into executive session at 12:03 p.m. Monday to consult with an attorney and discuss Garza’s employment status. Thirty minutes later, they emerged and announced Garza would be placed on administrative leave and Angela Solis, the current administrative assistant, was voted in as interim city secretary.

The city secretary for Rio Grande City and wife of an indicted Starr County drug trafficker was one of four people arrested on Thursday afternoon, according to federal sources.

Four seats are up for reelection on the Rio Grande City school board this November. Place 3 incumbent Basilio “Bacho” Villarreal, a businessman, will run unopposed to retain his position on the board for the Rio Grande City Consolidated Independent School District. The board’s newest member, insurance agent Dalinda Escobar, will face an opponent just three months after the board voted to appoint her to its vacant Place 5 seat. Escobar will face Veronica P. Barrera, a physical therapist.Place 6 incumbent Noe Castillo, who serves as Rio Grande City police chief, will also face an opponent, builder Ediel Barrera. Meanwhile two attorneys will vie for the Place 7 position on the board: current board president Eduardo “Eddie” Ramirez and Daniel J. Garcia.

Authorities shed additional light on a possible threat to IDEA Rio Grande City Tuesday evening, saying that two juveniles have been questioned over the incident and that charges were being considered, though it’s unclear whether any charges will actually be filed and the school never seemed to be directly threatened. Assistant Chief Jose Solis said the investigation into the potential threat stemmed from one of those individuals posting a photo of a weapon online, which someone discovered Monday and reported to authorities. IDEA Public Schools described that online interaction as a conversation between two students that was discovered by a parent. The photo posted online doesn’t clearly meet the parameters of an intentional threat and may not ultimately result in charges, Silva said. “Unfortunately some of these kids don’t understand the consequences of their actions, but they need to know schools and law enforcement are taking this stuff very seriously.”An IDEA Public Schools spokesperson Lynnette Montemayor said Wednesday that even if no charges are filed, the scare could result in consequences.

Officials provided scant information on a possible threat that IDEA Rio Grande City became aware of on Monday, which ultimately prompted a law enforcement investigation. A statement from IDEA public schools says that the school notified law enforcement and implemented campus security measures after receiving information on a possible threat. An IDEA spokesperson declined to answer any questions about the threat, including whether an arrest had been made and how the district became aware of the threat. It remains unclear whether law enforcement or district officials ever actually made contact with the person who made the alleged threat. Law enforcement in the Valley responded to several of those threats last semester, many of them resulting in arrests.

“If it’s gonna rise by that much, I don’t think we’re prepared,” one South Texas mayor said of temperature increases.

A driver moving drugs using a tractor trailer was stopped in Rio Grande City and arrested after a traffic inspection by Texas Department of Public Safety troopers last week, according to a Tuesday news release. The trooper working under the Operation Lone Star initiative made the stop on U.S. 83 in Rio Grande City on Friday, July 22. Fifteen bundles of cocaine weighing 42 pounds were found hidden in an altered compartment inside the trailer. The driver was arrested and charged with possession of a controlled substance and taken tothe Starr County jail. Since Operation Lone Star began in March 2021, DPS reports they’ve seized more than 7,000 pounds of cocaine statewide.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Rio Grande City port of entry stopped a drug smuggling attempt Sunday when a United States citizen was discovered to have disguised nearly 120 pounds of liquid meth as horse vitamins, according to a criminal complaint.

A federal judge in McAllen on Tuesday sentenced a selfie-taking drug trafficker from Rio Grande City to 11-and-one-half years in prison after he was caught last year with approximately 130 pounds of methamphetamine in all four of his truck’s tires. Abiel Geronimo Fernandez, 20, pleaded guilty on March 22 to a count of importing a controlled substance. Federal authorities arrested Fernandez on Nov. 28 when he attempted to enter the United States from Mexico at the Rio Grande City port of entry in a Chevrolet Silverado. A search of federal court records did not return any public cases against Flores, who Fernandez met in Miguel Aleman. In imposing the sentence, Alvarez also noted that Fernandez was arrested for smuggling people in the country illegally a day before his meth smuggling arrest, which the judge described as troubling.

Rio Grande City police arrested a 29-year-old man for allegedly stabbing his grandfather multiple times and fleeing the scene after another family member frantically called 911 on Monday, according to Assistant Police Chief Jose Solis. Andrew Villalon was charged with one count of murder for the death of 81-year-old Joseph Seale. According to Solis, police received a call about 6:51 p.m. that evening from a “frantic” female family member who was at a residence on Kennedy Street. While one group of officers searched for the suspect, officers at the residence found Seale dead from multiple stab wounds. “So, it went from an aggravated assault to a murder,” Solis said.

The trooper attempted to stop Morales, who continued westbound on Expressway 83 at a high rate of speed. “The vehicle continued to drive recklessly almost striking other vehicles on the expressway,” the affidavit stated. The chase continued toward Mission where DPS alleged Morales tried to strike a marked DPS unit from the rear. The chase finally ended as Morales entered Rio Grande City when Morales’ vehicle hit another set of spike strips, disabling the vehicle. DPS determined several people inside Morales’ vehicle were in the country illegally.

The body of a Dominican Republic man was found east of Rio Grande City on Friday, according to a Facebook post from the Starr County Sheriff’s Office. Deputies responded to the area of Santa Rosa after a civilian discovered the lifeless body. “At arrival Starr County Deputies found the lifeless body of 45 year old Dominican Republic male in the brush area,” the post read. Rodriguez Funeral Home transported the body to Elizondo’s Embalming in Mission. A preliminary autopsy report indicated that the “cause of death is attributed to exposure to elements and dehydration.”

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After throwing out Tamez at first, Rattlers first baseman Ava Cortinas turned and converted a double play, throwing out Brownsville Veterans’ Rebekah Izeta to end the inning. Game 2 is scheduled for 3 p.m. today at the Brownsville Veterans Softball Field. Rio Grande City pitcher Denzy Saenz picked up the victory for the Rattlers, pitching all seven innings while allowing just one run. Brownsville Veterans’ Alexis Tamez pitched the entire game for the Chargers, tallying six strikeouts. The Rattlers’ defense locked up the Chargers following the first, never facing more than four batters again to protect their lead and secure their victory.

The Rio Grande Valley, often seen as a reliable vote against abortion, has a long history of advocacy to increase access to the procedure.

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Border Patrol agents find $1.2 million worth of drugs in six different incidents over the course of the weekend.

Border agents seized over 450 pounds of marijuana following a vehicle pursuit near Sullivan City on Thursday.

Senior Adi Fleischmann hit a last second bucket to send McAllen High to the Region IV-5A quarterfinals.

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The Rio Grande City school district is making schedule changes in preparation for more cold weather expected in the Rio Grande Valley Friday. The district will have a late start for all students that day, a statement on social media made Thursday morning reads. For elementary students, buses will run at 7:30 a.m. and classes will start at 8:30 a.m. Bus service will begin at 8 a.m. for middle schoolers and class will begin at 9 a.m., while buses will run at 8:45 a.m. for high schoolers and classes will start at 8:45 a.m.Additionally, the post says, students will be permitted to wear warm ups both Thursday and Friday. “On behalf of Mr. Adolfo Pena Jr., Superintendent of Schools, and the entire Board of Trustees, we hope everyone can bundle up and stay safe and warm!” the statement read.

A new Buffalo Wings and Rings project is preparing to take flight in Rio Grande City. According to Gilbert Millan, Rio Grande City planning director, the first inquiry about the permit happened in June 2021. “The growing sports restaurant chain may break ground anytime within the next year, before the permit expires. “An awesome dining experience beyond buffalo wings awaits families, sports fans, and connoisseurs of good food coming soon to beautiful Rio Grande City,” Rio Grande City Mayor Joel Villarreal wrote. Buffalo Wings and Rings isn’t the only big-name restaurant announcement this January for the town of 17,000-plus residents.

The Republican governor officially announced his reelection campaign Saturday in McAllen, while likely Democratic opponent Beto O'Rourke campaigned in El Paso.

In the weeks before the December filing deadline to run in the March primary election, Project Red Texas traveled South Texas to recruit candidates to run for county offices. The group ended up helping get 125 candidates on the ballot across 25 counties.

Police are investigating after a man was killed in Rio Grande City on Wednesday night. Officers responded to a call reporting a homicide at a residence near the intersection of Old El Sauz Road and Sr. Corona Circle around 9 p.m. Wednesday. “Upon arrival officers discovered a male subject to be deceased,” a news release from the department stated. The man’s name has not yet been disclosed, and the case remains under investigation.

“We intend to file a motion to dismiss charges against Mr. Danny Garcia, your honor,” said Marco A. Palmieri, a prosecutor with the Public Integrity Section of the Department of Justice. Court records show the motion was formally filed shortly after the status conference ended; however, the two-page motion makes no mention of what led prosecutors to drop the charges against Garcia. I know his parents went to church right after (prosecutors) announced that they were gonna dismiss it,” Vega said. In exchange for his guilty plea, prosecutors agreed to dismiss the remaining charges against him. He died just days after the court denied an emergency request from prosecutors to memorialize his testimony via deposition.

“We intend to file a motion to dismiss charges against Mr. Danny Garcia, your honor,” said Marco A. Palmieri, a prosecutor with the Public Integrity Section of the Department of Justice. Palmieri said the government would officially file its motion to dismiss the charges against Garcia by the end of the day Tuesday. The indictment alleged that Garcia used his attorney trust account, also known as an IOLTA account, to launder bribes from the alleged scheme while keeping some of the proceeds for himself. Since the superseding indictment was unsealed, one defendant — John Cuellar — has since reached a plea deal with prosecutors. In exchange for his guilty plea, prosecutors agreed to dismiss the remaining charges against him.

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The matter of the vacant city manager position in Rio Grande City won’t be resolved until 2022, though the city attorney sought to dismiss the issue before the new year.

Two men arrested a day after Thanksgiving for smuggling over 100 pounds of cocaine on horseback through Rio Grande City were indicted on Tuesday.

The Texas Department of Public Safety has identified the individual found dead this week...

Two cousins who crossed about 385 pounds of cocaine on horseback the day after Thanksgiving in Rio Grande City were arrested and charged with drug smuggling.

An open government advocate said this week that if Texas legislators are one day successful in closing a loophole in the state’s public information act, municipalities such as Rio Grande City would no longer be able to work around certain requirements — such as responding to requests.

For over a year, Rio Grande City has not hired a city manager, though its own city charter requires such an appointment and the commission voted to begin the hiring process in May. On Wednesday, the city was prompted to initiate the search

The Starr County GOP chair who ran for a seat on the Rio Grande City commission is preparing to mount a signature campaign to propose term limits for the commission.

Federal court records indicate Evaristo Sepulveda, an alleged Rio Grande City drug trafficker, will plead guilty.

EDINBURG — U.S. Border Patrol agents caught 37 migrants in a stash house and vehicle pursuit Thursday in north Rio Grande City. The Starr County Sheriff’s Office assisted Border Patrol in apprehending 33 migrants found inside a stash house Thursday afternoon. All were taken into Border Patrol custody. The driver of the Ford failed to yield and led agents on a vehicle pursuit. This fiscal year, Border Patrol agents have found over 400 migrant stash houses and apprehended 7,400 migrants as a result throughout the Rio Grande Valley, according to a news release from U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

LA FERIA — The Rio Grande City Lady Rattlers defeated the La Feria Lionettes 23-25, 25-19, 25-18, 25-16 in a non-district matchup Saturday in La Feria.

By BERENICE GARCIA and VALERIE GONZALEZA man who was suspected of killing a woman in Rio Grande City in 2019 has died in prison, according to the 229th Judicial District Attorney’s Office in Starr County. Ismael Mares Jr., 44, died in custody at the Ramsey unit in Rosharon, Texas, according to Starr County District Attorney Gocha Ramirez. In December 2020, the Texas Rangers turned over the case to the Starr County DA’s office, Escobar told The Monitor. Mares and his older brother, Luis Mares, 47, are both suspected members of the Mexican Mafia. The Starr County Special Crimes Unit made the announcement on July 26 and corroborated Luis Mares’ allegations that a key piece of evidence in the case, a DNA match with Luis Mares, was disregarded 17 years ago.

Leaders from both sides of the border along Starr County met Friday to strategize and focus efforts that, they hope, will lead to a prosperous region. “A binational, regional concept” is how Joel Villarreal, Rio Grande City mayor, described the goal of the regional roundtable discussion that drew mayors and chamber of commerce representatives from Starr County, Roma, Rio Grande City, Miguel Aleman, Camargo and Diaz Ordaz. A video put together by the Rio Grande City EDC and played during the meeting highlighted a highway route that went from Monterrey toward Roma and veering into the U.S. through Rio Grande City. We really want to focus on that,” Jaime Escobar Jr., the Roma mayor said. So, if it’s not in my city, it could be with my neighbor,” Villarreal, the Rio Grande City mayor said.

A Hidalgo County grand jury indicted Manuel Morales on Aug. 10 and he is scheduled to be arraigned on Thursday. DPS arrested Morales on Aug. 20, 2020, after troopers deployed a spike strip as he entered Rio Grande City, causing him to crash. “The vehicle continued to drive recklessly almost striking other vehicles on the expressway,” the affidavit states. DPS says the chase continued toward Mission where they allege Morales tried to strike a marked DPS unit from the rear. At the time of the incident, DPS said troopers determined several people inside Morales’ vehicle were in the country illegally.

Democratic Congressman from Laredo, Henry Cuellar helped lead a meeting between several south Texas community leaders and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.

Border Patrol agents in Rio Grande City rescued an immigrant who fell from a cliff on Wednesday morning. The 21-year-old Honduran national was able to call 911 for help and told Rio Grande City Police that he’d fallen from the cliff and injured his leg. On Tuesday night, agents found more than a dozen immigrants hidden in a tractor-trailer rig at the Falfurrias checkpoint. According to a news release, a canine unit alerted agents to possible contraband inside a black Peterbilt 18-wheeler. When agents opened the trailer they discovered boxes of produce and then found several immigrants laying on top of boxes of onions.

This Rio Grande City smoke shack has barbecue in its name, but its Mexican dishes really shine.

A woman pleaded guilty to harboring nearly 70 people in the country illegally inside a Rio Grande City stash house.

The wife of a Rio Grande City man accused of drug trafficking was arrested Friday and is scheduled to make her initial appearance in federal court Monday morning. Julisa Peña, 32, was arrested Friday and charged for her role in using up to $110,000 derived from drug trafficking. Peña took the stand last year during the detention hearing for her husband, Evaristo Sepulveda, after he was arrested on drug trafficking charges in January 2020. “The payments were generated from Evaristo Sepulveda’s involvement in illegal drug trafficking and the sale of illegal drugs,” the complaint read. Peña’s husband of 10 years, Evaristo Sepulveda, was arrested in January 2020 in relation to a smuggling event involving 320 kilograms of cocaine moved through Starr County the previous year.

Within the last 24 hours, U.S. Border Patrol agents in Rio Grande City encountered 229 people crossing the border illegally in two separate large groups, the agency said in a news release Wednesday morning.

Rio Grande City Border Patrol Station agents found 736 migrants in three large groups in La Grulla this weekend, including one the agency is describing as its largest group yet this year. Border patrol agents first saw a large group of migrants “make landfall” near La Grulla Friday morning. On Saturday, Rio Grande City agents found an even larger group of migrants — 298 — walking north on a ranch road after illegally entering the country. “This has been the largest group of migrants encountered by RGV agents this fiscal year,” the news release said. Sunday afternoon, Border Patrol agents encountered yet another large group of migrants walking north on the same ranch road as the previous day.

Calls from two concerned citizens on Friday resulted in a Border Patrol aerostat operator spotting a group of nine people crossing into the country illegally near Rio Grande City.

Many local officials and business leaders along the border say that the rhetoric is misplaced and that the broader needs of their communities can often get lost.

FILE - In this July 27, 2020, file photo, notes to medical personnel are hung in an area as they prepare to ender a COVID-19 unit at Starr County Memorial Hospital in Rio Grande City, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, File)AUSTIN, Texas (AP) – A raging coronavirus outbreak in Laredo, now one of the biggest hotspots in the U.S., is leading to hundreds of new cases a day around the border city as Texas again reported more than 400 new COVID-19 deaths Friday. Overall hospitalizations in Texas continued showing potential signs of stabilizing, but the rising toll of new deaths continued to be the worst since the pandemic began. More than 1,200 new deaths have been reported in the past three days alone as January is already set to go down as the deadliest month of the pandemic in Texas. Abbott said Laredo has received more than 29,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines.

The U.S. has seen two distinct peaks in daily deaths. Then, over the summer, outbreaks in Texas, California and Florida drove daily deaths to a second peak of 1,138 on Aug. 1. That's down about 25% from two weeks ago but still not low enough to match the early July low of about 500 daily deaths, according to an Associated Press analysis of data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. Two weeks later, the state reached its highest seven-day average in daily reported deaths. She noted that daily deaths are still rising in some metro areas, including Memphis, Sacramento, San Francisco and San Jose.