On October 14, 2026, the Harlingen Police, together with HSI and the Cameron Sheriff’s Office, executed a search warrant at block 15000 of Executive Drive, arresting Samuel Medrano. They seized 3,733.34 g of cocaine, 17.35 oz of marijuana, two short firearms, $2,112 in cash and several vehicles. Medrano faces serious charges and his total bail is $520,000.

The City of McAllen government, through Metro McAllen, launched a new transportation route to the Hidalgo‑Reynosa International Bridge. According to Transportation director Mario Delgado, the service began a week ago, runs every day, costs tres dólares (incluye peaje) and allows use of the free parking at the North Hub on 23rd Street and Trophy to board Route 10.

An accident on US 281, seis miles north of Premont, killed 65‑year‑old Arturo Ponce, the driver of a Ford F‑250, and injured another passenger in the same vehicle. On Friday, 23 de octubre, at about 3 p.m., the left front tire blew out and the pickup struck a Toyota Tacoma that ended up in the center median. The injured passenger was airlifted by helicopter to Christus Spohn Shoreline hospital.

The newly appointed Environmental and Conservation Task Force in Brownsville was sworn in on Wednesday at the Brownsville Event Center, where about 40 attendees heard City Manager Alan Guard open the meeting. Members, including SpaceX engineer Carolyn Wood, faced immediate public criticism and calls for her removal, while the 11‑person panel is tasked with delivering a preliminary report on data‑center impacts by December, a timeline residents will watch closely.

Florentino Garcia Lerma, a 67‑year‑old man from Alamo, was sentenced this week after a Hidalgo County jury found him guilty of multiple sexual offenses against three children under 14. The convictions stem from allegations reported to Alamo police on Nov. 3, 2023, and resulted in a 50‑year prison term, the length of which residents will note as the key outcome.

Jurors in Brownsville began deliberations Thursday afternoon on the sentencing of 21‑year‑old Rogelio Martinez Jr., convicted of killing San Benito police Lieutenant Milton Resendez on Oct. 17, 2023. The defense urged a life‑without‑parole verdict, while prosecutors pressed for the death penalty. Residents will learn whether the jury opts for capital punishment or a life sentence.

During the sentencing phase in Brownsville, both the state and defense rested after Melissa Resendez, the wife of slain San Benito officer Lt. Milton Resendez, testified on Thursday. The jury, which previously found Rogelio Martinez Jr. guilty of murder on Oct. 8, will now hear closing arguments and begin deliberations on whether to impose the death penalty. Martinez’s co‑defendant has already pleaded guilty to a lesser murder charge.

Emeritus UTRGV professor Eduardo Del Rio has released a new collection titled "The Lost Train and Other Stories," comprising ten short stories that explore Latino experiences with immigration, race, religion, misogyny and climate change. The book, written after he began the title story in 2019, imagines a future where immigration issues have intensified, a scenario that resonates with many Rio Grande Valley residents.

"I’m going to be OK.”

Edinburg, TX — UTRGV men

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — The votes are in for our Week 8 Team of the Week. Weslaco East earned the top spot with 770 votes, or 53% of the vote. Los Fresnos came in second with 355 votes, or 24% of the vote, and Harlingen came in third with 352 votes, or 23%. ValleyCentral thanks [...]

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — Our weather remains mostly quiet, but a coastal trough could bring a few showers, especially across Hidalgo and Starr counties. Keep an umbrella handy, just in case. High pressure continues to build across the central United States will help temperatures climb back into the mid-80s on Thursday afternoon however, easterly winds should keep [...]

Work is underway on a $1 million grant-funded project along Villarreal Avenue in San Carlos that will rebuild the road, construct drainage swales, and replace an aging lift station to mitigate neighborhood flooding.

Weslaco city leaders approved a new ordinance limiting vape shop operating hours from 7 a.m. to midnight and establishing strict fines for non-compliance.

Tense courtroom exchanges marked the punishment phase of the Rogelio Martinez capital murder trial in Cameron County as defense witnesses testified about his childhood trauma while jurors weigh the death penalty.

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) -- Day three of the punishment phase in the Rogelio Martinez case were met with tense moments as prosecutors challenged defense witnesses who described Martinez differently from the man convicted of murder. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for Martinez for his role in the killing of San Benito police Lieutenant Milton [...]

Grulla High School senior class president Miguel Sanchez excels academically as a certified phlebotomist with sights set on becoming a fetal surgeon.

CASA of Hidalgo County is hosting a free recruitment event in November to encourage local families to foster children, helping keep South Texas youth within the Rio Grande Valley.

The city of Mercedes is investing $180,000 to install 50 solar lights along the walking trail near the City Dome, improving safety and allowing residents to exercise during cooler hours.

With early voting underway, South Texas voters are encouraged to check their sample ballots as redrawn maps place some residents in new congressional districts.

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) -- Two children and one adult were sent to the hospital on Wednesday evening after a shoulder lane crash on the expressway in Edinburg. The crash occurred on the 4200 block of the southbound lanes of Interstate Highway 69-C. A preliminary report from the Edinburg Police Department indicates that a tractor-trailer crashed [...]