On November 2, 2023 the Alamo Police Department received a report of an alleged sexual assault against a 12‑year‑old girl, and later another against a different minor. A jury heard evidence of repeated abuse of three victims under 14 and found Florentino García Lerma, 67, a resident of Alamo, guilty, imposing a concurrent sentence of 50 years in prison.

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — Harlingen officials gathered at Dixieland Park on Thursday for the grand opening of the first city-owned covered basketball court. Located at 2501 Dixieland Road, the new court offers a covered space for year-round community use. "So this project was brought by the community," said Harlingen City Engineer Roberto Hernandez. "They kept [...]

MISSION, Texas (ValleyCentral) — A luxury home linked to the Gulf Cartel is scheduled for auction today. Carlos Favian Martinez, 40, of Mission — the son-in-law of Gulf Cartel boss Osiel Cardenas Guillen — lived at 2700 Solera Drive in Mission. Martinez pleaded guilty to extortion and money laundering charges in 2025. A judge sentenced [...]

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) – The main weather story across the U.S. right now is Hurricane Isaias. The storm will strengthen as it moves north, aiming for the coastline of Alabama and Florida's Panhandle before making landfall in the early hours of Saturday morning. The Texas Gulf Coast sits on the west side of this storm. [...]

RUIDOSA, Texas (AP) — The message from the Trump administration has been clear: It is moving ahead with a $46 billion border wall project stretching from the Pacific Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico. But in Texas’ Big Bend region, the administration has run up against intense opposition from landowners, many of whom are unwilling [...]

The Cannery Public Market opened in Brownsville on Thursday, marking the completion of a four‑year renovation of the 1940s dome‑topped building at 1700 E. Sixth St. City Manager Alan Guard and other officials highlighted its new spaces for the weekly Brownsville Farmers Market, a Food Bank hub, a commercial kitchen and outdoor cooking area, with a grand‑opening celebration scheduled for Saturday.

About ten school‑district races will decide more than twenty board seats on the November 3 general election in Hidalgo County. Voters in Edinburg, Pharr‑San Juan‑Alamo, Weslaco and Donna districts will choose among incumbents and newcomers, with several open seats such as Edinburg Place 5 and Weslaco Place 4, making these contests especially relevant for local families.

During the 1847 U.S.–Mexico War, Irish-born deserter John Riley fought for Mexico at Fort Brown, helped form the Batallón de San Patricio and was captured at the Battle of Churubusco on Aug. 20, 1847, receiving fifty lashes and a D brand. Over 160 years later, New York native Eric Ellman heard the San Patricios story on the Rio Grande in Brownsville from musician Adrian Foncerrada while promoting a kayaking grant, and they bonded over Irish music.

Bank and city officials announced Thursday that Lone Star National Bank and McAllen are extending their partnership to sponsor the Wild Brite South Pole Illuminated Festival and the McAllen Holiday Parade. The new LSNB Kids Free Days will let children under 12 enter the festival free on selected Wednesdays, aiming to draw more families to the holiday attractions.

Former Hidalgo County detention officer Luis Enrique Vega, 30, was charged Thursday with official oppression after an investigation showed he struck a handcuffed inmate’s face multiple times on Sept. 8 at about 8:30 p.m. in the Hidalgo County Detention Center. The sheriff’s office said Vega was placed on leave, terminated Monday, and released on a $2,500 bond.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers seized nearly $800,000 worth of alleged cocaine at the Hidalgo International Bridge on Sept. 27 after a black Chevrolet truck from Reynosa was sent to secondary inspection. Non‑intrusive equipment and a K‑9 team detected anomalies and the scent of narcotics, leading officers to recover 22 packages totaling about 60 pounds. Homeland Security Investigations agents opened a criminal investigation.

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — Valley Sports Central has your Thursday night highlights for week seven of high school football. Sports Director Megan Murray captured highlights from Richard Flores Stadium in Edinburg for the Weslaco vs. Vela game. From Tom Landry Stadium in Mission, Noah Gulley shares all the key points of the Donna North vs. [...]

BROWNSVILLE, Texas (ValleyCentral) – A Cameron County jury found Rogelio Martinez guilty of capital murder Thursday in the 2023 shooting death of San Benito Police Lt. Milton Resendez. The verdict came after nearly five hours of deliberation following almost a week of testimony. Resendez’s family cried and embraced each other and supporters after the verdict [...]

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — Starr County Sheriff's Office investigators arrested a man accused of being involved in an improper relationship with a student. Francisco Contreras Jr. was booked into the county jail on Wednesday on a charge of improper relationship between educator and student, a second-degree felony, and two counts of sexual assault of a [...]

n this episode of Border Report Live, Tomás Michael Carvallo of Global Guardian breaks down the countries with the most threats and where it's safe to travel. He also talks about how Mexican cartel have made the Mexican state of Sinaloa the most dangerous and why.

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — A month after he was accused of striking an inmate in the face, a now-former Hidalgo County detention officer has been charged. Luis Vega, 30, was charged with official oppression, a Class A misdemeanor, on Thursday. A judge set bond at $2,500, according to the Hidalgo County Sheriff's Office. The alleged [...]

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — A ribbon-cutting ceremony on Thursday welcomed the Cannery Public Market to Brownsville. The Cannery Public Market is the city's newest hub centered on health and wellness. A partnership with the Food Bank of the Rio Grande Valley will bring a food pantry to the Cannery Public Market. The Cannery Public Market [...]

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — ValleyCentral is partnering with school districts across the Rio Grande Valley to bring live high school football games to viewers with a click. ValleyCentral is the only news station in the region to bring you live broadcasts from the Harlingen, Brownsville, Weslaco, and McAllen school districts. Throughout the football season, we [...]

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — The mother of a slain Border Patrol agent who was killed during a failed robbery attempt in Willacy County 12 years ago took the podium at President Donald Trump's rally in San Antonio on Wednesday. Marie Vega, who said she's from La Feria, is the mother of U.S. Marine veteran and Border [...]

BROWNSVILLE, Texas (ValleyCentral) — After hearing closing arguments from the state and defense Thursday morning, the jury is deliberating in the capital murder trial for Rogelio Martinez Jr., who is accused of killing San Benito Police Lt. Milton Resendez during a 2023 police chase. Closing arguments follow a three-day trial in which the jury heard [...]

HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — This episode of Valley Storm Team brings members of the team together to talk about the drought, the hurricane, and our weekend. Recent rains have made a dramatic improvement in our drought conditions across the Valley. We are still seeing some drought conditions, but they are not anywhere near as bad [...]