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Hidalgo County Courthouse to remain closed Wednesday and Thursday

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) - The Hidalgo County Courthouse will remain closed to the public on Wednesday and Thursday as county officials continue to investigate an alcohol-related crash that caused extensive damage to the building. Officials say that at 11:35 p.m. Sunday, ...

ValleyCentralAug 31, 2026

Kenedy County brush fire fully contained; 2,003 acres burned

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — A brush fire that spread across more than 2,000 miles in Kenedy County over the weekend is fully contained, according to a Monday evening update from the Texas A&M Forest Service. The weekend blaze destroyed approximately 2,003 acres. The fire s...

ValleyCentralAug 29, 2026

McAllen city staff, first responders attend disaster recovery training

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — McAllen city staff and first responders attended a two-day training course on how to prepare for disaster recovery. The Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service and the Federal Emergency Management Agency's MGT-482 Disaster Recovery Public Assist...

ValleyCentralAug 29, 2026

Former Cameron County District Attorney's Office employee arrested

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — Authorities arrested a former employee with the Cameron County District Attorney's Office on Friday, according to District Attorney Luis V. Saenz. Claudia Garcia is a former employee of the DA's Office, according to Saenz, and was arrested Frida...

ValleyCentralAug 28, 2026

Former Cameron County DA employee charged with bringing drugs into jail

Claudia Garcia Robert Johnathon Vargas A former paralegal with the Cameron County District Attorney’s Office has been charged with bringing drugs into a correctional facility. In a brief news release, the DA’s office said Claudia Garcia and Robert Johnathon Vargas were arrested F...

MyRGVAug 28, 2026

Bond set for student accused of school threat against IDEA Elsa

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — A student has been released from custody following an alleged threat against IDEA Elsa. Christopher Alessandro Ayala, 17, was arrested by the Elsa Police Department on Wednesday and charged with terroristic threat causing serious bodily injury. ...

ValleyCentralAug 28, 2026

Suspects accused of unauthorized card transactions in McAllen

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — Two people are wanted on credit card abuse charges for multiple unauthorized card transactions over the past month, according to the McAllen Police Department. McAllen police issued arrest warrants for suspects Elisa Yvette Colombel and Cindy Th...

ValleyCentralAug 27, 2026

ICE agent Christian Castro released from custody

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — An Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent arrested in connection with the shooting of a Venezuelan man during an immigration operation in Minneapolis was released from custody early Thursday morning. Christian Castro walked out of the Carriza...

ValleyCentralAug 27, 2026

Suspect in critical condition after officer-involved shooting in Edinburg

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — A suspect is in critical condition after an officer-involved shooting in Edinburg. Shortly after 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, Edinburg police responded to a disturbance call on the 2000 block of Joy Street. When police arrived and knocked on the door, p...

ValleyCentralAug 26, 2026

Student, 17, accused of making threat against IDEA Elsa Academy

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — Elsa police arrested a 17-year-old student accused of making a threat against IDEA Elsa Academy. Elsa police did not identify the student, who is facing a charge of terroristic threat causing serious bodily injury. The student remains in custody...

ValleyCentralAug 26, 2026

Slowdown on I-2 westbound between Main St. and Hutto Rd in Donna

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — A slowdown on I-2 westbound from the Main St. exit to the Hutto Rd exit in Donna is causing traffic to back up. ValleyCentral reached out to the Donna Police Department but has yet to receive a response....

ValleyCentralAug 26, 2026

Valley Storm Team: Emergency Management leader reminds everyone to stay alert

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — As hurricane season reaches its peak in the Rio Grande Valley, Chief Meteorologist Bryan Hale sits down with Cameron County Emergency Management Coordinator Tom Hushen to discuss the importance of being prepared before a storm threatens. From or...

ValleyCentralAug 25, 2026

Injuries reported in Raymondville-area crash

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — First responders are at the scene of a two-vehicle crash near Raymondville. The Willacy County Sheriff's Office reports that the crash occurred at the intersection of FM 490 and FM 1420 and caused injuries. The extent of the injuries is unknown....

ValleyCentralAug 24, 2026

Mother, daughters arrested after traffic stop leads to officer assault: Police

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — A mother and her two daughters were taken into custody after a police officer was assaulted in a Walmart parking lot during a traffic stop, according to a Harlingen Police Department news release. Lily R. Mata was charged with driving while lice...

ValleyCentralAug 24, 2026

McAllen man faces murder charge in stabbing death of woman: Police

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — A man is facing a murder charge after he allegedly stabbed a woman on Saturday night, according to the McAllen Police Department. Esai Longoria, 37, of McAllen, is facing charges of murder, resisiting arrest/search/transportation, assault on a p...

ValleyCentralAug 24, 2026

From firefighters to cowboys: Brownsville FD save cow sunken neck-deep in mud

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — Brownsville firefighters spent part of their week saving a cow that was stuck neck-deep in mud at the bottom of a ditch. According to a news release from the Brownsville Fire Department, earlier this week fire crews responded to a call about a f...

ValleyCentralAug 23, 2026

Fire forces evacuation of Weslaco nursing home

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — A fire at a Weslaco nursing home sent at least one person to the hospital Saturday afternoon. According to city officials, at around 2:30 p.m., the Weslaco Fire Department responded to a call regarding smoke inside Valley Grande Manor Nursing an...

ValleyCentralAug 22, 2026

Rio Grande City firefighters battle house fire

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — The Rio Grande City Fire Department is on the scene of a house fire Saturday afternoon. According to a social media post from the RGC Fire Department, crews responded to a house fire in the South Midway Road area in Rio Grande City. The La Rosit...

ValleyCentralAug 22, 2026

Mercedes Fire Chief appointed as interim City Manager

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — The City of Mercedes has appointed Fire Chief Javier Campos Jr. as Interim City Manager. The appointment follows the resignation of manager Alberto Perez, who stepped down on Aug. 14. According to the city of Mercedes, Campos has built his caree...

ValleyCentralAug 22, 2026

STHS honor 3 Edinburg police officers who save 2-year-old life

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — South Texas Health System honored three Edinburg Police Officers with its Hometown Heroes Awards, following their life-saving actions. On March 24, 2026, Edinburg officers responded to a call involving an unconscious two-year-old child who was p...

ValleyCentralAug 21, 2026

San Juan police investigating multi-vehicle crash: TxDOT

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — The San Juan Police Department is investigating a multi-vehicle crash that occurred on the expressway Friday afternoon, according to the Texas Department of Transportation. The crash occurred near the westbound Raul Longoria Road exit. At least ...

ValleyCentralAug 21, 2026

La Grulla residents asked to stop nonessential water use amid emergency order

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — La Grulla city officials announced Friday that the city has activated Stage 5 emergency water conservation measures and are asking residents to discontinue nonessential water use until further notice. According to the mayor's emergency order iss...

ValleyCentralAug 21, 2026

Lamar Elementary in Harlingen evacuated after fire alarm activated

Editor's note: This article has been updated with new information from the Harlingen Police Department. HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — Lamar Elementary was evacuated after a fire alarm was activated Friday morning, according to a spokesperson for the Harlingen Consolidated In...

ValleyCentralAug 21, 2026

Husband of employee accused in $750K theft scheme turns himself in

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — The husband of a former employee accused of stealing thousands of dollars from a Harlingen cancer treatment center turned himself in to authorities on Tuesday, according to the Harlingen Police Department. Police say a bank account belonging to ...

ValleyCentralAug 20, 2026

Two Los Angeles residents charged in scheme to defraud Valley woman

T wo additional people have been arrested in connection to the Chinese national who defrauded a woman in the Rio Grande Valley. Yuchen Wang and Xi Zhou, who are residents of Los Angeles, are charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud after Kang Ye was arrested at the Falfurrias...

MyRGVAug 20, 2026

Jeep owners warned of vehicle thefts in Brownsville

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — The Brownsville Police Department is issuing an alert after seeing an increase in Jeep thefts. The department says thefts are increasing for newer-model Jeep Gladiators and Jeep Wranglers. Police advise Jeep owners to take extra precautions, suc...

ValleyCentralAug 20, 2026

Tractor-trailer driver in Alamo expressway crash cleared of charges: DA

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — The tractor-trailer driver involved in an Alamo expressway crash in June has been cleared of charges after a Hidalgo County grand jury declined to indict him, according to District Attorney Toribio "Terry" Palacios. There wasn't enough evidence ...

ValleyCentralAug 20, 2026

DPS searches for driver accused in fatal hit-and-run near Elsa

Editor's note: This story has been updated. HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — The Texas Department of Public Safety is searching for a driver accused of being involved in a deadly hit-and-run crash that occurred early Thursday morning north of Elsa. The crash occurred at approxi...

ValleyCentralAug 20, 2026

Brownsville to hire new police chief

Felix Sauceda T he city of Brownsville is looking for a new top cop as its current chief transitions into focusing full-time as one of the city’s two deputy city managers. Brownsville Mayor John Cowen Jr. confirmed via a text message that Chief Felix Sauceda remains in charge of ...

MyRGVAug 19, 2026

Elevated fire danger and stubborn Saharan dust dominates the forecast

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — A broad stretch of high pressure continues to dominate Texas, keeping our pattern locked into hot, dry, triple‑digit days. Throughout the rest of the week, this setup holds firm, meaning little to no rain and temperatures staying well above aver...

ValleyCentralAug 19, 2026

City of Brownsville searching for new police chief

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — The City of Brownsville is searching for a new chief of police. The search comes months after Brownsville police Chief Felix Sauceda was promoted to co-deputy city manager as part of a new organizational structure. According to the city, Sauceda...

ValleyCentralAug 19, 2026

Parent charged after firearm recovered at Brownsville elementary school

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — A parent was charged after a firearm was recovered on Wednesday from Aiken Elementary School in Brownsville. The Brownsville Independent School District said the parent was charged with one count of making a firearm accessible to a child and aba...

ValleyCentralAug 19, 2026

Harlingen proposing budget of about $71 million

H ARLINGEN — City commissioners are proposing a general fund budget of about $71.7 million, covering $69.6 million in expenditures, with about $3 million going to fund a three-year police officers’ union collective bargaining agreement. Based on the city’s next property tax rate,...

MyRGVAug 19, 2026

Minnesota sues Abbott, Cameron County sheriff over ICE agent extradition

Christian Castro T he state of Minnesota has filed a lawsuit against Cameron County Sheriff Manuel Treviño and Governor Greg Abbott after the state says they failed to extradite a federal immigration officer charged in the shooting of a Venezuelan man earlier this year. Christian...

MyRGVAug 19, 2026

Jury selection underway for Donna father accused of killing daughter

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — A pre-trial hearing was held on Tuesday for a Donna father accused of killing his 3-year-old daughter. Jose Manuel Uresti was arrested in November 2024 and has been charged with murder, two counts of injury to a child, and aggravated assault of ...

ValleyCentralAug 18, 2026

BROWNSVILLE FIREFIGHTERS RESCUE COW TRAPPED NECK-DEEP IN MUD

On Tuesday morning, Brownsville firefighters responded to reports of a farm animal trapped in a ditch. When crews arrived, they discovered an adult cow in a difficult situation, sunken neck-deep in thick mud at the bottom of the ditch....

City of BrownsvilleAug 18, 2026

Judge denies bond reduction for man accused in fatal Mission crash

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — A judge on Tuesday denied a bond reduction for a man accused in a fatal motorcycle crash. Apolonio Perez's bond will remain at $3.25 million. Perez's lawyers argued during a court hearing in the 332nd District Court Tuesday morning that Perez is...

ValleyCentralAug 18, 2026

Third person dies in connection with head-on crash in Palmview: DPS

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — A third person is dead following a head-on crash in Palmview over the weekend, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety. Efren Garcia Saldivar, 22, of Mission died from his injuries on Monday, according to DPS. At approximately 9:26 p....

ValleyCentralAug 18, 2026

Jury selection still underway in Martinez capital murder trial

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — Jury selection is still underway in the capital murder trial for Rogelio Martinez Jr., who is accused of fatally shooting San Benito Police Lt. Milton Resendez during a 2023 vehicle pursuit. According to a district clerk, the court is still cond...

ValleyCentralAug 17, 2026

Combes police officer recognized after performing CPR on unresponsive child

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — The Combes Police Department is recognizing one of its officers who is being credited with saving the life of a 2-year-old child during a call for service. On Friday, Officer B. Echavarria responded to a call regarding an unresponsive child. Whe...

ValleyCentralAug 17, 2026

South Padre Island grass fire caused by sky lanterns, fire chief says

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — A grass fire that broke out Saturday night at South Padre Island near the Margaritaville Beach Resort was caused by sky lanterns, according to South Padre Island Fire Chief Jim Pigg. Witnesses at the scene told officials that sky lanterns with c...

ValleyCentralAug 17, 2026

Emergency rail repairs to close FM 2556 in La Feria: TxDOT

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — The Texas Department of Transportation issued a traffic alert as FM 2556 between US Bus. 83 and I-2 in La Feria is expected to close Tuesday through Friday. Crews will be working on emergency repairs to railroad tracks, TxDOT said. Drivers are b...

ValleyCentralAug 17, 2026

Deadly officer-involved shooting in Mission, investigation underway

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — The Texas Rangers are investigating an overnight fatal officer-involved shooting in Mission. According to a news release from the Mission Police Department, at approximately 12:04 a.m. Sunday, authorities responded to a 911 call regarding a pers...

ValleyCentralAug 16, 2026

2 adults, 3 children hospitalized following two-vehicle crash in Rio Hondo

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — Five people, including three children, were taken to a hospital following a two-vehicle collision, according to city of Rio Hondo officials. At approximately 5:26pm on Saturday, the Rio Hondo Volunteer Fire Department responded to a crash in the...

ValleyCentralAug 16, 2026

2 dead after head-on crash in Palmview

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — The Texas Department of Public Safety is investigating a deadly two-vehicle crash that took place Friday night. At approximately 9:26 p.m., DPS troopers responded to a fatal two-vehicle crash on Texan Road south of Freedom Avenue north of Palmvi...

ValleyCentralAug 15, 2026

Teen arrested in connection with 2023 murder case, Cameron County DA says

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — A teen wanted in connection with a 2023 murder case was arrested on Thursday, according to the Brownsville Police Department and the Cameron County District Attorney's Office. According to the Cameron County District Attorney Luis V. Saenz, in F...

ValleyCentralAug 14, 2026

Palmview police arrest man accused of stabbing friend

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — The Palmview Police Department arrested a wanted man accused of stabbing his friend with a bladed weapon. According to an update from Palmview police Chief Jose Trevino, Heriberto Cazares, 33, was apprehended Friday night by Palmview PD in McAll...

ValleyCentralAug 14, 2026

Dallas man caught trying to smuggle 21 guns to Mexico from Brownsville

A Dallas man was found to be attempting to smuggle more than 20 firearms into Mexico from Brownsville for financial gain while knowing that it’s illegal to do so without a license, according to a criminal complaint. Francisco Hernandez-Herrera is charged with knowingly facilitati...

MyRGVAug 14, 2026

Deaf, non-verbal missing man safely located, Brownsville police say

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) -- The Brownsville Police Department safely located a missing man, police announced Thursday night. At approximately 7:13 p.m., police announced Mario Alberto Soto, 76, was last seen at his home located at the 1800 block of Palm Blvd. in Brownsvil...

ValleyCentralAug 14, 2026

Medical emergency causes driver to strike pillar in Edinburg

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — A driver hit a pillar after experiencing a medical emergency behind the wheel Thursday morning, according to a spokesperson for the city of Edinburg. At approximately 9:35 a.m., emergency responders with the city of Edinburg were dispatched to t...

ValleyCentralAug 13, 2026

Cause of fire that destroyed La Feria home still under investigation

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — The cause of a fire that destroyed a home in La Feria on Wednesday is being investigated by the Cameron County Fire Marshal's Office. Cameron County Fire Marshal Juan Martinez said that the house cannot be accessed at this time because it has be...

ValleyCentralAug 13, 2026