Martín Hernández Alvarado, 61, was sentenced to 40 years for sexual offenses against minors. Learn the details of the case and the investigation.

The district said the report was outside the campus. After the “Secure Hold,” authorities detained several people and classes resumed.

Vanessa Denise Rico, 48, of Edinburg, was arrested Wednesday and arraigned Thursday on charges of manufacturing or delivering a controlled substance causing serious bodily injury or death and of delivering cocaine. Police say the investigation began April 10 after officers found a 39‑year‑old man unresponsive at Dove Avenue in McAllen; a search of Rico’s Edinburg home seized 1.85 grams of cocaine and she was held on a $10,000 bond.

County arrested Maria Guadalupe Nelson in Los Fresnos on Wednesday, charging her with manufacturing and delivering a controlled substance of one to four grams to an inmate at state jail. She was booked at Carrizales‑Rucker Detention Center after a warrant was executed in 32000 block of Bluejay Circle, aided by Texas Board of Criminal Justice Office of Inspector General. Rio Grande Valley residents will note drug‑trafficking case linked to correctional facility.

McALLEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — A sex offender from Alaska was placed on probation Tuesday after he paid smugglers to bring a woman and her 14-year-old daughter across the Rio Grande. Douglas Price, 44, of Chugiak, Alaska, paid smugglers at least $5,000 to bring the woman and her daughter across the border in January. “I accept [...]

A jury was selected for the trial of Brownsville man Rogeilo Martinez, accused of killing San Benito Police Lt. Milton Resendez on Oct. 17 2023 after a chase that started on South Padre Island and ended near the Gateway International Bridge. The case will begin on Oct. 5 at 8:30 a.m.; Martinez has pleaded not guilty, while co‑defendant Rodrigo Axel Espinosa Valdez, who earlier pleaded guilty to a lesser charge, is expected to testify.

Jose Jaime Baeza Jr., a 33‑year‑old Brownsville man, received a 15‑year federal sentence after CBP officers at the B&M International Bridge found over 2,500 child sexual abuse images on his phone when he attempted entry with a girl he said was his sister on Jan. 14 2024. A records check flagged him as a registered sex offender, prompting a secondary inspection where agents seized the material and confirmed he had exchanged it via Telegram.

Belinda Perez, a 32‑year‑old woman from San Benito, pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of injury to a child causing serious bodily injury and received a 15‑year prison sentence. The offense concerns the June 27, 2024 death of a 15‑month‑old identified as R.C., after Perez allegedly blocked the infant’s airway at a Harlingen daycare on Dixieland Road. She is being held at the Cameron County Carrizales‑Rucker Detention Center awaiting transfer.

McAllen attorney Della Fay Perez was sentenced on Sept. 17 in a Dallas federal court to one month in prison and a year of supervised release for knowingly possessing information about bank fraud and failing to report it. She must surrender by 2 p.m. on Oct. 20, will pay a $100 special assessment, and will not be fined due to lack of assets.

Avan Ruben Mendoza, 21, was sentenced to 38 years in prison after pleading guilty to the 2022 murder of 22‑year‑old Ryan Michael Serna outside the No Manches Wuey bar at 211 S. 17th Street in McAllen, where the shooting occurred just before 2 a.m. on Oct. 2, 2022. The case follows earlier convictions of co‑defendants Alejandro Gomez (18 years) and Joel Gonzalez Jr. (38 years), while remaining suspects had their charges dropped for lack of evidence.

Thirty‑year‑old Jose De La Cruz pleaded guilty on Sept. 15 to intoxication manslaughter and intoxication assault after a two‑vehicle collision on Nov. 15, 2024 killed 77‑year‑old Oralia Garza of San Benito. The crash occurred on FM 509 south of FM 800 in Harlingen when De La Cruz’s Chevrolet Tahoe, traveling at high speed, veered into the northbound lane and struck Garza’s Hyundai Kona. He is scheduled for sentencing on Oct. 14.

Man Julio Diaz, 38, was sentenced to life on Monday for July 10, 2023 shooting that killed McAllen lodge member Robert Wise. A jury convicted him of murder and two arson counts after less than an hour of deliberation; surveillance video captured the attack, which he posted online while claiming a “reptilian” conspiracy. The killing occurred at 118 N. 11th St. in McAllen, a concern for Rio Grande Valley residents.

An inmate at the Carrizales‑Rucker Detention Center in Olmito died on Sunday after a medical emergency, prompting a Texas Rangers investigation. Sheriff Manuel Treviño said EMS transported the inmate, whose identity is withheld until kin are notified, but he became unresponsive and was pronounced dead; a justice of the peace was notified and an autopsy ordered. The Texas Rangers are leading the investigation and the Cameron County Sheriff’s Office is fully cooperating.

McALLEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — A bookie who collected nearly $3.8 million from high-rollers in South Texas pleaded guilty to a federal conspiracy charge on Monday. Marco Antonio Cardenas, 48, of Mission — and other people who participated in the conspiracy — received nearly $3.8 million from March 2019 to March 2026. Cardenas collected nearly $2.9 [...]

Federal prosecutors announced that Jose Flores‑Flores, a Mexican national believed to be a Gulf Cartel hitman, was arrested near Mission, Texas, after Border Patrol agents detained him on July 10 along the Rio Grande. He faces federal charges under President Trump’s Executive Order 14157, which designates cartels as foreign terrorist organizations, and investigators reviewed his phone, finding graphic videos of dismemberment. Residents will note the arrest occurred in Mission.

McALLEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — A woman accused of counting cash at a stash house was held without bond Tuesday. Leila Lizette Vallejo, 21, of Donna, Texas, 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 [...]

Christian Joel Maldonado Pacheco, de 25 anos, foi apresentado à juíza Janet Leal na Detenção Carrizales‑Rucker, onde recebeu prisão preventiva sem fiança por quatro acusações de homicídio qualificado e três de abandono e risco a criança. Segundo o xerife Manuel Treviño, ele se entregou após ligar para o 9‑1‑1 por volta das 3 h de domingo, na rodovia 819, bloco 3200, fora de San Benito, e foi apreendido sem incidentes.

Edinburg police chief Jaime Ayala announced his retirement, effective Oct. 30, after five years leading the department. Ayala, who began his career as a volunteer reserve officer in Edinburg and spent 32 years with the Arlington Police Department, will return to North Texas to be with his family. He highlighted the city’s 2025 homicide‑free year and a 16 % drop in major crimes.

A suspect was taken into custody Sunday as the Cameron County Sheriff’s Office continues its investigation of a quadruple homicide that took place on the outskirts of San Benito. The killings occurred in the 3200 block of Road 810, and the suspect’s first court appearance is scheduled for Monday afternoon, followed by a news conference, according to Sheriff Manuel Treviño.

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — The Drug Enforcement Administration announced Thursday that agents in McAllen seized over 2,000 pounds of methamphetamine 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 TXDPS," the DEA Houston office posted on social media. The [...]

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.

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…