HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — The DEA McAllen office seized over 2,000 pounds of methamphetamine, the DEA Houston office announced Thursday. According to the DEA Houston office, the methamphetamine was found hidden within a shipment of cabbage. "This major seizure is part of a Homeland Security Taskforce Investigation, conducted jointly with HSI, FBI, CBP, USB, and [...]

McALLEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — A woman accused of counting cash at a stash house was held without bond Tuesday. Leila Lizette Vallejo, 21, of Donna allegedly recorded herself counting cash at a stash house in Mission. When federal agents searched the stash house, they found about $903,000 in cash — and videos of Vallejo counting [...]

The Mission City Council voted 4‑1 on Tuesday to continue negotiations on a meet‑and‑confer agreement with the Mission Firefighters Association, IAFF Local 3609, after a two‑hour executive session. Mayor Norie Gonzalez Garza cast the sole vote against further talks. The council will consider the agreement again at a special meeting later that day, with public comments from supporters and opponents.

McAllen reports five arrests after an operation targeting alleged solicitation of prostitution. They also ask the community to report information.

Miguel Mariscal III, 30, a Mission resident, pleaded guilty to assaulting his wife with an object, causing serious neurological injuries and strokes. On Monday 24 de agosto de 2026 he was sentenced to 20 years in prison by Judge Letty Lopez of District Court 389, after an incident that occurred on 16 de noviembre de 2024 in a Hidalgo County home.

Jorge González Martínez, 49, a local pastor, was arrested on 27 de julio de 2026 in Edinburg on four indecency with a minor charges. The judge set bail at 100 mil dólares, and the investigation, which covers alleged incidents between marzo and abril de 2025, remains ongoing under the direction of the Edinburg Police Department.

The family of Anthony Joseph, 16, a resident of Pharr, is going through a painful situation with their son hospitalized in critical but stable condition after being stabbed seven times last Friday. Anthony Joseph’s parents continue to wonder why and what motivated Fernando Gaytán, of…

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — Locals have reported seeing a large alligator in Port Isabel near the Long Island Village; however, gator experts say the animal was probably passing through the area. ValleyCentral spoke with educator, alligator expert and licensed nuisance alligator trapper with the South Padre Island Birding Nature Center and Alligator Sanctuary, Jacob Reinbolt, who [...]

An Alton grand jury has indicted 19-year-old Gaurav Chopra on capital murder and evading arrest charges following the June 16 shooting deaths of his parents and grandmother.

Five Brownsville ISD campuses and a local medical clinic were placed under security restrictions as Brownsville police searched for an auto theft suspect near Hortencia Boulevard.

HARLINGEN Texas (ValleyCentral) — Brownsville police say they are searching for a suspect in the Southmost area of the city and that has lead to several school lockdowns. The Brownsville Independent School District announced that five schools have been placed in lockdown, secure and hold due to police activity in the surrounding areas. According to [...]

Pharr launches the Safe at Home program, offering free smoke detectors, home safety visits, and fire prevention tips for elderly residents and individuals with disabilities.

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — An affidavit reveals new details in the arrest of an Edinburg pastor accused of inappropriately touching minors at church. According to the affidavit, Jorge Gonzalez Martinez, 49, pastor at Iglesia Internacional Poder y Gloria, is accused of touching two girls in the church's camera-operating room. On July 24, one of the [...]

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — The Elsa Fire Department is advising the public to be aware of callers impersonating the department. According to a public service announcement, the department has been receiving reports of individuals calling businesses and residents, claiming to be from the Elsa FD to schedule or conduct fire inspections. Elsa FD is informing the [...]

Program claimed to have paid fraudster after repeated warnings EDINBURG — The Hidalgo County Head Start Program allegedly paid an imposter masquerading as a representative of its food service provider $235,457.20 in 2024, continuing to pay the fraudster even after being alerted about the likely theft. The Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office arrested…

The Elsa Fire Department reported that a grass fire ignited near Monte Alto, close to the intersection of Jesus Flores and Nittler roads, and was reported to dispatch at about 1:30 p.m. Fire crews from Elsa and partner agencies worked to contain the blaze, which burned more than 22 acres before being controlled, and officials said no homes or other properties were endangered. No injuries were reported and the cause remains under investigation, a detail of particular interest to Rio Grande Valley residents.

The body of missing 59-year-old kayaker William Raney of Midland was recovered Tuesday after he was last seen near Cameron County Beach Access No. 6 following a multi-agency search effort.

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — A kayaker who was reported missing over the weekend on South Padre Island was recovered on Tuesday by Cameron County Park Rangers. A search for the missing kayaker was initiated by the U.S. Coast Guard on Saturday afternoon near Cameron County Beach Access No. 6 after the kayaker reportedly disappeared offshore. [...]

A 36-year-old Brownsville man, Ernesto Stuart Owen, faces an aggravated assault charge after allegedly stabbing his 71-year-old father during an altercation on Candlewick Court.

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — The Brownsville Police Department on Tuesday identified the man accused of stabbing his 71-year-old father. Ernesto Stuart Owen, 36, was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon causing serious bodily injury, according to an update from the Brownsville Police Department. Owen was issued a bail of $200,000. An investigation into the [...]