Rio Grande Guardian's Podcast

BROWNSVILLE, Texas - SpaceX will be hiring another 4,000 workers this year at its Starbase rocket launching facility at Boca Chica, says the executive director of South Texas Manufacturers Association.Mike Willis gave an overview of the manufacturing scene in the Rio Grande Valley and northern Tamaulipas in his monthly report for February. After running through a number of plant closures over the past two years he ended on a very positive note.“There's a lot going on. I think we're going to see a lot of announcements in the next year or so, up and down the Valley. So I am really pretty optimistic we'll see a lot more manufacturing job growth here than we've seen in a long time,” Willis said.With regard to SpaceX, Willis stays in close contact with the company's local leadership.“On the good news front, SpaceX… and this may not be good news if you're a current manufacturer who's trying to hold on your workforce and find more people to hire… but SpaceX has confirmed that they're going to hire 4,000 more people in 2026 for Starbase. According to Wikipedia, SpaceX had 13,000 workers as of September 2023. The company, whose proper name is Space Exploration Technologies, Corp., had an operating income of $8 billion in 2025.Cameron County Judge Eddie Treviño, Jr., told the RGG Business Journal that he too has heard that SpaceX is hiring an additional 4,000 workers this year.“Four thousand new workers? Yes, that had been in the offing. During our conversations, they're expanding. Plus the movement or transfer of their headquarters, meaning additional employees. So the growth continues. We're very, very excited about it, obviously,” Treviño said.“It means we've got a lot of work to do. From an infrastructure standpoint. we need TxDOT to get cracking on Highway 4 sooner rather than later. There were too many people already on it. We've got to get that done. But these are good problems to have. These are great problems they have.”Editor's Note: Go to the RGG Business Journal for more border business stories. Go to www.riograndeguardian.com to read the latest border news stories and watch the latest news videos.

MCALLEN, Texas - There was a 30 percent decrease in loans for construction companies in the Rio Grande Valley in January, the executive director of the South Texas Builders Association reports.Mario Guerrero visited Washington, D.C., recently to urge the White House and the Department of Homeland Security to stop ICE from conducting raids at construction sites. Those meetings in D.C. were set up by U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar.“We need to protect our economy. Right now in South Texas, we're being dramatically affected. In January, there was a 30 percent decrease in construction loans. Compared to 2025, there's been a 30 percent  decrease in construction loans that have been acquired by contractors in order to go ahead and build homes. It's a big strain on the economy. We have companies that have filed for bankruptcy. It's no secret to the people that are here from the Valley. We've also had companies that are seeing 40% losses on revenues, lumber companies, tile companies across the Valley.”Guerrero made those comments on a webinar with Congressman Cuellar and Monica Y. Martinez, executive director of Laredo Chamber of Commerce. Guerrero also participated on a webinar hosted recently by Comite de 100, a group founded buy business leaders who wish to create “an immigration system that reflects the values of fairness, economic prosperity, and respect for all.”Guerrero told the group that he will continue to call out local elected officials until ICE stops its raids of construction sites. “I'm nowhere near a professional when it comes to politics, and maybe my tactics are a little rugged, but one of the things that I did down here in South Texas is I called out every elected official by name, and I also put their picture on a video,” Guerrero said, explaining his tactics in getting attention for STBA's cause.“I really believe that our elected officials should be our voice. I'm a civilian, and if you're an elected official, you should be our voice in the good and in the bad. So I stated in a video that was released by my team in early November of last year that we needed to hold each elected official accountable. (The meeting) was set up for 200 people, and we had close to 400 people show up. It was extremely packed.”As a result to that meeting, STBA secured national media attention, Guerrero told Comite de 100. “I do have a very strong presence in the media outlets. I also have a podcast that reaches hundreds of thousands of people. I don't believe I'm doing anything special, but I do believe that we need to hold the politicians that we put an office accountable for what they're voting for.”The saddest thing builders are seeing is ICE agents racing 50 and 60 miles an hour in neighborhoods as they try to apprehend their construction workers, Guerrero said.“The saddest part that we're seeing is these ICE agents are going 50, 60, miles per hour down a subdivision. Okay, we understand that you're probably trying to get to a job site that's inside that subdivision. But what are you going to do if you kill the child? What if there's a child riding a bike? And I have videos that I showed at that meeting. When you have these ICE agents going and driving these vehicles between 40 to 60 miles per hour in people's backyards that are not fenced we have a real problem.”Editor's Note: To read the full story go to the Rio Grande Guardian website. The attached audio comes from the Comite de 100 webinar. Go to www.riograndeguardian.com to read the latest border news stories and watch the latest news videos.

BROWNSVILLE, Texas - The Rio Grande Valley chapter of the Institute for Leadership in Capital Projects is hosting a mixer in Brownsville on the evening of February 18.It is titled: “Downtown Brownsville - A Master Plan Revitalization Mixer. It is being held at Boqueron Food & Wine Bar on E. Washington Street, starting at 5:30 p.m.To learn more about I-LinCOP and the mixer, the RGG Business Journal met up with Oscar Garcia, regional vice president for Broaddus & Associates, and vice president for I-LinCP-RGV, and Doroteo Garcia, Jr., assistant city manager for the City of Brownsville.I-LinCP is a Texas-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that brings together contractors, architects, and engineers to improve the planning, design, and delivery of capital projects. The group started a chapter in the Rio Grande Valley in early 2025. It held two events in the Valley last year, one in McAllen and one in Weslaco. Now it is working to expand in Brownsville. “We felt this would be a great opportunity to focus on some of the big projects that are happening in Brownsville, namely the downtown revitalization effort that's going on right now,” Oscar Garcia said.Editor's Note: Go to the RGG Business Journal to read the full story.Go to www.riograndeguardian.com to read the latest border news stories and watch the latest news videos.

MCALLEN, Texas - RioPlex is planning to visit Asia and Europe later this year in order to drum up business for the region.The trade missions will likely take in the United Kingdom, Taiwan and Japan. There will also be a number of visits to Mexico and different parts of the United States. A signature event, much like the group did in Houston last year, will be held in Mexico, most likely in Mexico City.Confirmation that the group was making such arrangements came from Mario Reyna, in an exclusive podcast with the RGG Business Journal, and top strategist Astrid Salazar, on a webinar with the Prosperity Task Force.“One of our main goals, besides confirming projects, (after all) that's what we are here for, is to host international delegations for our region, so everyone knows who we are, what we do, and they understand how the dynamic of our region works, and also to be part of foreign trade missions abroad,” Salazar said.“We're thinking about at least one in Asia, probably Taiwan or Japan, and then some other events in the US, and then one in in the UK.”Salazar also told the task force: “For 2026 we're working on strategic visits, both in US and in Mexico to attract more business. These visits are going to be monthly, mainly in Texas, some other parts of the US, and then on the Mexican side, Monterrey and Mexico City are the biggest ones we're working on.”Asked about RioPlex's calendar for 2026, Reyna told the Business Journal:“Basically, we will do a signature event, like the one we did in Houston (last year). And right now, more than likely, it might be Mexico City. After that, we do have plans of perhaps going to Taiwan, Japan and the United Kingdom. Why those particular countries? Because those countries have a lot of what we call foreign direct investment (coming) into this particular area, and so that's where they're coming from.”Editor's Note: Attached is an audio recording of Astrid Salazar's remarks at a recent Prosperity Task Force webinar. She was introduced by Mario Reyna, coordinator of the Prosperity Task Force and executive director of RioPlex.Go to www.riograndeguardian.com to read the latest border news stories and watch the latest news videos.

Hidalgo County Judge Richard Cortez today begins a charm offensive as he seeks to bring the larger cities and economic development organizations in the Rio Grande Valley under the RioPlex umbrella.  Cortez plans to meet with all the EDCs, both individually and collectively. The first meeting takes place today with an unnamed city.  Asked what the feedback has been so far, Cortez said: “The response that we're getting from people we've contacted is very positive. The response that we've gotten from individual cities is they're still unsure.” Smaller cities are coming on board, however. The cities of Mercedes, Alton, Alamo and Elsa have all joined or said they will join RioPlex. Cortez's argument is that if individual cities or EDCs go after new business on their own, they are not telling the full story. The full story is all the assets in the region, he says. And that region, RioPlex, comprises the Valley and northern Tamaulipas.  Cortez likens it to a customer visiting a mall. RioPlex is the mall and each city is a store within the mall. The city is not the mall.  In an in-depth interview with the RGG Business Journal, Cortez explained how RioPlex came about and what its goals are. He said to tell the full story he had to start with the Hidalgo County Prosperity Task Force.Editor's Note: Go to the RGG Business Journal to read the full story.Go to www.riograndeguardian.com to read the latest border news stories and watch the latest news videos.

EDINBURG, Texas - The Valley Alliance of Mentors for Opportunities and Scholarships (VAMOS) is celebrating 30 years of service to first-generation, low-income students across the Rio Grande Valley. In recognition of this year's anniversary, VAMOS has a goal of raising $1 million in scholarship funds. The organization's largest fundraiser each year is a golf tournament. The 30th Annual VAMOS Golf Tournament takes place on Saturday, March 7, 2026 at Champion Lakes Golf Course in McAllen, Texas. Proceeds from the tournament will directly support four-year renewable scholarships, with awards of up to $20,000 over four academic years for students from Hidalgo, Cameron, and Starr counties. The attached audio was recorded at a press conference VAMOS held at the Edinburg Conference Center at Renaissance. The event was held to announce the golf tournament. The speakers featured on the broadcast are: Karla Rodriguez, a curriculum coordinator at Pharr-San Juan-Alamo ISD, Sergio Sanchez, board trustee for VAMOS, Dr. Andrew Phillips, MD, who works in DHR's intensive care unit, and Brianna Maldonado, a VAMOS-UTRGV scholar. Go to www.riograndeguardian.com to read the latest border news stories and watch the latest news videos.

BROWNSVILLE, Texas - Cameron County held its State of the County Luncheon in Harlingen last month and Precinct 2 Commissioner Joey Lopez spoke about La Esperanza Community Park's all-inclusive renovations.The park reopened in July 2025, with the addition of an inclusive splash pad for children. According to Lopez, the park has been utilized by several children and families that are wheelchair-bound.“The area is well shaded,” Lopez said. “The renovations that have happened within this past year (are worth) about $2.3 million. We added a huge splash pad that was put in, we updated the walking trail and we have a butterfly garden there.”The funding for the project was paid through the American Rescue Plan Act. Lopez said the support from the city's park's department helped get the park acknowledged by the state level.“If you haven't had a chance to come on by and take a look at it, please come on by,” Lopez said. “You'd be very impressed.”Noble Texas Builders won an Eagle Award at the ABC South Texas 2025 Excellence in Construction Awards for the design and construction of La Esperanza Park. Rene Capistran, president of Noble, said the park has been reimagined with accessibility at its core.“Working alongside the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, the transformation of this beloved community space includes major upgrades that make it more inclusive and welcoming for all visitors. From ADA-compliant renovations in the Community and Technology Buildings to fully accessible outdoor features, every detail was designed with comfort, safety, and usability in mind,” he said.Editor's Note: The read the full story go to the Rio Grande Guardian website.Go to www.riograndeguardian.com to read the latest border news stories and watch the latest news videos.

MISSION, Texas - AltaCair Foundation's top event of 2025 was its Accelerator Conference. This was the third year in a row AltaCair has held an Accelerator Conference. It was billed as the largest health summit in South Texas. During the conference, the group's president, Dr. Rashmi Chandran, gave a series of interviews. Here is one of them.Go to the Rio Grande Guardian website for the full story. Go to www.riograndeguardian.com to read the latest border news stories and watch the latest news videos.

MCALLEN, Texas - RioPlex plans to hold meetings every month across the region to explain to communities what the group is doing to bring in more investment and better paying jobs. Mario Reyna, RioPlex's executive director, spoke about the group's vision, mission statement, core values, and strategic direction at a leadership gathering, held recently at McAllen Country Club.“We're going to have engagements every month throughout the region to tell people what it is that we're trying to do,” Reyna said. “People have to understand, the community has to understand, what it is that we're trying to do, how we're going to do things that are going to make them better.”RioPlex is looking to bring longterm prosperity to the region, Reyna explained. The region consists of the Rio Grande Valley and northern Tamaulipas.“We have to remember why we're doing it. We're doing this because we want to lower the poverty rate in our region, and the only way we know how to do this is by bringing better jobs, bringing more investment. That is going to create better paying jobs.”Regional unity is key, Reyna explained.“We want to bring everybody together, private, public, nonprofit, everybody. Everybody that has anything to do with bringing more investment to our community. That's our mission,” Reyna said.“We cannot move forward if we're not united, and we are going to do everything we can to make sure people understand what it is that we're trying to do. We want to bring more industrial development to this area. So, we're going to be investor-focused. That's what we're trying to do, bring additional investment to the area. We want to promote the region, not internally, but externally.”Reyna continued: “We want to work with everybody, everybody, including the economic development corporations and the Foreign Trade Zone.”Foreign Trade Zone No. 12's president and CEO, Mark E. Garcia, was in the audience. His group has just joined RioPlex.Editor's Note: Go to the Rio Grande Guardian website to read the full story.Go to www.riograndeguardian.com to read the latest border news stories and watch the latest news videos.

Josie Arellano es enlace para víctimas de delitos en el Departamento de Desarrollo Policial de Pharr. Arellano conversó a fondo con la presentadora del Rio Grande Guardian, Mari Regalado, para hablar sobre su trabajo. Regalado comentó que es importante que las víctimas de delitos se presenten y denuncien, sin importar su estatus legal. Añadió que el Departamento de Policía de Pharr puede ayudar. Go to www.riograndeguardian.com to read the latest border news stories and watch the latest news videos.

Josie Arellano is crime victims liaison for Pharr Police Development. Arellano sat down for an in-depth interview with Rio Grande Guardian anchor Mari Regalado to discuss her work. She said it is important for the victims of crime to come forward and report a crime, no matter what their legal status. She said Pharr Police Department can help. Here is the interview.Go to www.riograndeguardian.com to read the latest border news stories and watch the latest news videos.

PHARR, Texas - Mario Guerrero, CEO of the South Texas Builders Association, says the region's banks are also being impacted ICE's raids on construction sites in the Rio Grande Valley.Guerrero called a meeting recently with U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar to discuss the economic impact the raids are having on the building industry. More than 20 construction company owners attended. The building industry representatives said jobs are being delayed because workers, undocumented or otherwise, are not showing up at the construction sites. He said ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) officers are rounding up all the workers, whether they are undocumented or not.“We're getting attacked from two different directions. One is interest rates. The other is the immigration crisis. They (ICE) are not making it easy for construction companies to go ahead and build these homes. It's taking longer,” Guerrero told the Rio Grande Guardian.“People need to realize that a lot of this construction is happening off of bank loans, right? So, if a construction company is building out of a loan, now you're faced with paying higher interest, because you're not finishing your project at a certain time.Guerrero continued: “So, now we have banks that are extremely, extremely worried, because now they're seeing delays in the projects. It is taking so long that they're afraid that construction companies are going to start defaulting on loans.”Asked if his comment about banks being worried was purely anecdotal, Guerrero said: “No, this is coming directly from presidents and vice presidents of these banks. They're extremely worried. You have to understand that the cycle, the wheel, is not moving. And if the wheel is not moving, that's an economic issue that we are facing. And it's not moving because people are afraid to work. Both illegal and American citizens are afraid to work because they (ICE) are taking everybody.”Guerrero said he hopes house prices in the Valley do not start to rise because housing projects are being stalled. The members of the South Texas Builders Association that were present for the meeting with Cuellar, which was held at Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen in Pharr, said they would take up the congressman's offer to go to Washington for a meeting with officials with the Department of Homeland Security. Go to www.riograndeguardian.com to read the latest border news stories and watch the latest news videos.

BROWNSVILLE, Texas - Former state Sen. Eddie Lucioo, Jr., has not been able to give away as many turkeys to the less fortunate this year, in part because federal funding to the food banks has been cut.Normally, Lucio would purchase the turkeys at a competitive price from local food banks and distribute them to those in need in Cameron, Willacy, and Hidalgo counties. This year, however, the 25th year he has been doing it, he has had to pay for them from the large distributors at the normal price.And so, he has had to shrink the program to just giving away 400 turkeys and all within Cameron County alone. In an interview with Ron Whitlock Reports, Lucio explained how his Thanksgiving Turkey Day first started.“This is the 25th annual giveaway. We started off with with 10 or 20 turkeys and they mostly to the ladies that kind of hung around my campaign. Those that were really interested in community development. They were activists. And I told Brenda, my dear assistant who has actually worked for me for 36 years, to go out and buy some turkeys to give them.“And it started like that. But we continued to make it bigger and bigger until it got to hundreds of families that we were able to help.”Back then Lucio had campaign contributions to draw on to purchase the turkeys. But when he retired in 2023, the campaign contributions, naturally, dried up.“Back in the day I had money that was contributed to me, and I was glad to share it with the less fortunate that needed our help and support. But after January of 2023 I was no longer in public public service. But, fortunately, I still had some anonymous donors that that wanted to help, one in particular that I care not to mention. I said I would not divulge his name because he wanted to keep it private.”Lucio said he gave away one thousand turkeys last year. This year, he has had to shrink it to 400.“These big, multi-billion dollar corporations, they don't give you any discounts. They're there to make money. That's the name of the game for them. I don't want to be too critical but when it comes to helping the less fortunate and those that that need help, I think all of us should dig in a little bit and share a little bit of the wealth and share a little bit of our resources so that they, too, can have a sit down dinner with with their families, and enjoy the day and thank God for all the blessings.”Lucio said he is particularly disappointed he could give out turkeys in Willacy and Hidalgo counties, as in previous years.“I used to do the three counties because I had enough turkeys. Hidalgo, Willacy and Cameron. But this year, there are very few turkeys, 600 less. It means I couldn't cross the county line to Hidalgo and Willacy, and it hurts me. It pains my heart not to be able to help because of lack of funds and the lack of resources that we need.”Lucio says he has a plan to arrest the slide, to give away more turkeys next year.“I have a plan. I want to make sure we have the funds necessary. So I'm going to do a big (golf) tournament and call it a Turkey Tournament. Sometime in May or June of next year. And then build on that from personal contributions from anybody that wants to give to a worthy cause like ours.”Go to www.riograndeguardian.com to read the latest border news stories and watch the latest news videos.

MCALLEN, Texas - Ralph Garcia, interim chief operating officer for McAllen Economic Development Corporation, has given a brief update on the various projects the group is working on. “Right now, the EDC is working with about 25 active projects. This represents a total of about three million square feet of space. Estimated jobs are about 8,000 and the economic impact of that is roughly about $5 billion dollars,” Garcia said a quarterly stakeholders meeting.“Primarily, our companies are coming from France, Sweden, Mexico, the US and Japan. Those are the activities that we're seeing right now.”Garcia said McAllen EDC has secured two new leads during the current quarter, along with 23 existing prospects."We also continue to work on state leads. Most of what we're seeing coming through, the focus is on manufacturing and, of course, distribution and logistics. Those are projects that we continue to work with.”Garcia said the MEDC team working on active projects includes Susie Flores in McAllen and Rafael Angel Ortiz Salazar in Reynosa. “And, of course, we continue to do BRE (business retention and expansion) visits with a lot of our existing business, both in McAllen and Reynosa. We find that most of the leads that we're generating right now are through a BRE visit, where we're learning of current projects that companies are looking at.”Garcia said quite a few of those expansion projects involve South America.“We're trying to leverage those projects, to look at Texas as an alternative option. One of the advantages that we have is our low cost, so that helps us. But, we're always trying to get in front of those projects, versus them leaving the area completely.”Go to www.riograndeguardian.com to read the latest border news stories and watch the latest news videos.

MCALLEN, Texas - McAllen International Airport continues to capture the biggest share of the passenger market in the Rio Grande Valley, the city's director of aviation reports.Jeremy Santoscoy gave an update on airport activity at a recent McAllen Economic Development Corporation stakeholders meeting. “Through Quarter 3, we're at about 863,000 total passengers, which is a slight decrease year-over-year, (a drop of) about two and a half percent,” Santoscoy said.“We continue to see the majority market share, the value is about 48 percent, with Harlingen following at 40 percent and Brownsville at 12 percent.”Harlingen is otherwise known as Valley International Airport. Brownsville is otherwise known as Brownsville-South Padre Island International Airport.“Overall, year-over-year, Harlingen was up just slightly, but Brownsville was still down 11 percent. With all the economic activity over there, you figured there'd be some kind of change. But what I'm hearing is there are still a lot of people choosing to live on this side of the Valley and commute back and forth with those jobs down there, with the SpaceX and LNG.”Santoscoy said the recent government shutdown did not impact McAllen International Airport very much.“The government shutdown, the longest government shutdown, had did very little to no effect on McAllen International Airport. Our services kept going,” Santoscoy said. “We have good group of federal partners that we continue to work with through thick and thin. So services did not see any delays when they did turn down the amount of operations working out of the hubs. We did see a couple of them cancelations, but that was the airline's decision.”Santoscoy said McAllen is continuing to lobby to have its flights to Mexico City restored. They were recently suspended by the federal government.“We were disappointed with that, with the Mexico City flights being suspended. We continue to work with our congressional delegation to make some noise in D.C. to see how they can support us; to open that route back up due to its importance to the Valley. It's the only Mexico City route out of here.”Santoscoy said he had read that Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum wants to open up more slots out of Mexico City. “We're trying to look at the validity of that. No orders have been issued by the Mexican government,” he said. “That route is very important to the economy down here.”Editor's Note: Go to the RGG Business Journal to read the full story. Go to www.riograndeguardian.com to read the latest border news stories and watch the latest news videos.

MCALLEN, Texas - Ruben Alfaro, development engineer for Hidalgo County Regional Mobility Authority, gave an update on the group's strategic plan when he spoke at a McAllen Economic Development Corporation stakeholders meeting.That strategic plan includes the long-awaited Hidalgo County Loop. Alfaro said HCRMA is making good progress.“The key point I wanted to get across is the progress that we are making in terms of construction and where we are going as an RMA,” Alfaro told the RGG Business Journal, at the end of the meeting. “We need everyone in the county ti work together to achieve it (the county loop). It is not an easy task but we are working on it and we are working diligently to get there.”Alfaro also spoke at the governance of the RMA, the 365 Tollway project, the International Bridge Trade Corridor (IBTC), and overweight corridors.Attached is an audio recording of Alfaro's remarks to McAllen EDC.Michael J. Williamson is a director on the HCRMA board. He said the group is keen to give presentations such as the one Alfaro made at the MEDC stakeholders meeting.“If you have an organization that would like to maybe learn a little bit more about what we're doing, please let us know. It's all about working with our counterparts and our other parties and different cities,” Williamson said.“Building a house is one thing. Building, maybe, a retail plaza is another. We're building a freeway. It is a really high over and we're dealing with hundreds of millions of dollars, if not billions of dollars, and we need everybody's support, everybody's participation. It really is a community effort to build something like this.”Go to www.riograndeguardian.com to read the latest border news stories and watch the latest news videos.

PHARR, TEXAS – RioPlex fu eel anfitrion de una ceremonia de colocacion para La Bonanza Avocados, una compañia familiar de aguacates proveniente de Uruapan, Michoacán el 14 de Nov. Invitados de la ceremonia incluyeron mas de 20 lideres de Negocios de Michoacán, que se encontraban en una mission commercial que incluyo una visita a SpaceX en Starbase. La ceremonia de colocacion se llevo a cabo en la Esquina de Las Milpas y Veterans Road en Pharr. La ceremonia incluyo discursos del alcalde the Pharr el Dr. Ambrosio Hernandez, el director de RioPlex, Joaquin Spammer, y el president de La Bonanza, Gabriel Villaseñor. Despues, los VIPs disfrutaron de una cena en el Klub Nautique en Mission. Aquí tenéis una grabación de audio de los comentarios realizados durante la cena.Go to www.riograndeguardian.com to read the latest border news stories and watch the latest news videos.

PHARR, TEXAS – RioPlex fu eel anfitrion de una ceremonia de colocacion para La Bonanza Avocados, una compañia familiar de aguacates proveniente de Uruapan, Michoacán el 14 de Nov. Invitados de la ceremonia incluyeron mas de 20 lideres de Negocios de Michoacán, que se encontraban en una mission commercial que incluyo una visita a SpaceX en Starbase. La ceremonia de colocacion se llevo a cabo en la Esquina de Las Milpas y Veterans Road en Pharr. La ceremonia incluyo discursos del alcalde the Pharr el Dr. Ambrosio Hernandez, el director de RioPlex, Joaquin Spammer, y el president de La Bonanza, Gabriel Villaseñor. Despues, los VIPs disfrutaron de una cena en el Klub Nautique en Mission. Aqui esta una grabacion del comentario dado en la ceremonia de colocalcion.Go to www.riograndeguardian.com to read the latest border news stories and watch the latest news videos.

EDINBURG, Texas - Ruben Cortez is vice president of the Texas Association of Education Service Centers.In a recent interview with the Rio Grande Guardian, Cortez spoke about a larger than average drop off in school attendance by students living in heavily Hispanic areas.Cortez was reticent about blaming the reduction on raids by ICE. However, leaders within La Joya ISD, Sharyland ISD, Brownsville ISD and McAllen ISD have all spoken about this being a factor.Here is the interview.Go to www.riograndeguardian.com to read the latest border news stories and watch the latest news videos.

MCALLEN, Texas - The North American Development Bank is to allocate up to $100 million from its retained earnings over the next five years for urgent water conservation projects along the U.S.-Mexico border.NADBank Managing Director John Beckham made the announcement at the two-day Rio Grande/Rio Bravo Binational River Symposium hosted by the Texas Water Foundation at the Embassy Suites by Hilton in McAllen.Beckham said the grant money will be come out of the $400 million Water Resiliency Fund that the NADBank board of directors approved in August. The WRF has been set aside for priority infrastructure projects that conserve and diversify water supply sources throughout the US-Mexico border region.Beckham said an additional $300 million in low-interest loans is also being made available through the bank's regular loan program.The call for projects will focus on the Rio Grande Valley initially, Beckham said, because of the dire need to conserve water in this region.“The decision to do this project is border-wide. There is no area of the US-Mexico border region, which the bank operates in, that is not part of this project. Having said that, the Lower Rio Grande Valley on both sides of the border is extraordinarily urgent because of the conditions here, and so that is why we are starting with a call for proposals here in the Rio Grande Valley,” Beckham said, at a press conference.Proposed projects must show clear results, such as water conservation, increase efficiency or development of new sources, NADBank said, in a press release. Examples of eligible efforts may include replacing old infrastructure, converting canals to pipelines, reusing and storing water and using technology that helps monitor and reduce water loss, the release stated. Project applications will be received until Jan. 8, 2026.Editor's Note: Go to the Rio Grande Guardian website to read the full story.Go to www.riograndeguardian.com to read the latest border news stories and watch the latest news videos.

PRIMERA, Texas - The City of Primera recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Richmond Hills Drainage Project.Cameron County Drainage District No. 5 played a key role in the project.CCDD5 provided a timeline of the events:Developer Julio Carranza required CCDD5 to use five acres on his property for drainage purposes. CCDD5 then partnered with La Feria Irrigation District to carry out the excavation work. The City of Primera then secured an ARPA grant from Cameron County to fund drainage improvements within the Richmond Hills subdivision.Finally, the City of Primera secured a drainage easement linking the subdivision's new drainage system to a new detention pond.“This project stands as a testament to what can be achieved when individuals and government entities work together toward a common goal,” said CCDD5 President Steve Jennings.“The project, in many ways, would not have been possible without the collaboration and shared commitment of all these partners.”Ron Whitlock Reports covered the ribbon-cutting ceremony, securing an audio recording of everything said from the podium. That recording is featured below.Among the speakers was U.S. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez. Go to www.riograndeguardian.com to read the latest border news stories and watch the latest news videos.

HARLINGEN, Texas - The Free Trade Bridge at Los Indios is the crown jewel of Cameron County's international bridge system, according to the county's economic development director, Ramiro Aleman.The bridge is also known as “Los Indios-Lucio Blanco Bridge”, “Puente Lucio Blanco-Los Indios”, “Puente Internacional Libre Comercio” and “Los Indios Free Trade Bridge”. It is owned and operated by Cameron County. However, the cities of Harlingen and San Benito each receive 25% of the net revenues. The bridge facilities are located on a 127-acre tract of land.Aleman spoke about Los Indios at a Rio Grande Valley Partnership Commercialization and Investment Tour event, held at TSTC-Harlingen's Welcome Center. The event was sponsored by Harlingen Economic Development Corporation. “What I like to call the One Big Beautiful Bridge, Los Indios, is, I think, the crown jewel of the Cameron County International Bridge system, and you can quote me on that,” Aleman said.During a panel discussion, Aleman was asked to give an update on Cameron County's international bridge system.“Cameron County is at the forefront of innovation when it comes to international trade. I say that because I think we just accomplished something that's never been done before, at least from our research,” Aleman said.“Cameron County is on the verge of purchasing an ownership stake in the B&M Bridge from Union Pacific. I don't think that's ever been done before, at least through our research. With that purchase, Cameron County will now own Veterans Bridge at Los Tomates, which is a commercial and passenger bridge,” Aleman said. “And Gateway Bridge, which is passenger only, is about to have tremendous upgrades. Over $100 million in upgrades (is coming), plus an additional standalone pedestrian bridge which will ease crossings.”Aleman then waxed lyrical about Los Indios.“What I like to call the One Big Beautiful Bridge, Los Indios, is, I think, the crown jewel of the Cameron County International Bridge System, and you can quote me on that. The reason I say that is because it's an overweight corridor and an oversized corridor. You see all those wind turbines? They don't cross anywhere else but Los Indios, because that's the only bridge capable (of carrying such cargo). Not only that, but we also have a cold storage and a cold room facility for (fresh produce) inspections.”Aleman said any type of fruit or vegetable can cross at Los Indios.“Fruits or vegetables that need to keep that cold chain, they can cross through here and never break that cold chain. Also, USDA has an agriculture inspection facility there. So, anytime they find any type of anomaly in the product, they can identify it on site. If they have to send it to a lab, that can take hours, days sometimes. But the advantage of us having it at our location is definitely something that we should be promoting, because it is a big advantage for us,” Aleman said.“I think it is a prime location that you are able to build on, especially here in Harlingen, because the overweight corridor goes right through the industrial park all the way to the Aerotropolis, and the Port of Harlingen. And so, I think that's a great opportunity for investments.”Editor's Note: Go to the RGG Business Journal to read the full story. Editor's Note: Attached is an audio recording of everything Aleman said on the panel at the RGVP event. Go to www.riograndeguardian.com to read the latest border news stories and watch the latest news videos.

HARLINGEN, Texas - Rick Carrera, COSTEP's economic development director, gave an update on a project his group is working on to map all the automotive companies in the Rio South Texas region.COSTEP stands for Council for South Texas Economic Progress. The Rio South Texas region comprises northern Tamaulipas, the Rio Grande Valley, and Laredo.Carrera spoke briefly about the Binational Autocluster project at a meeting of the South Texas Manufacturers Association (STMA). The meeting was held at Harlingen Convention Center. STMA Executive Director Mike Willis invited Carrera to give an update. Carrera said COSTEP has so far received 90 responses.The Binational Autocluster project started in July 2025. It is a strategic initiative aimed at uniting 140+ automotive companies, universities, and economic development entities across South Texas and Northern Tamaulipas, Mexico.After Carrera had spoken, Willis explained what the project is about."For those of you who are not familiar, COSTEP is a regional economic development group. They go to trade shows all over the world. They try to attract companies to our region," Willis said. "They are trying to map out information about all the companies on both sides of the river that are in the automotive business to help show that to foreign prospects to try to see what kind of supply chain they could have if they located to northern Tamaulipas or especially the Rio Grande Valley. So, that is what that is for."After the STMA meeting had ended, Carrera gave an exclusive interview to RGG Business Journal about the Binational Autocluster project. He also spoke about an INDEX Nacional conference he attended recently and looked forward to a trade show he will be attending in Florida in the near future.Go to www.riograndeguardian.com to read the latest border news stories and watch the latest news videos.

LAREDO, Texas - Webb and Starr are leading South Texas in clean energy growth with new solar panels, wind power, and battery storage, U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar reports.The Laredo Democrat released a new update showing that Texas' 28th Congressional District - his district - is a powerhouse in clean energy production – pairing renewable power with traditional oil and gas to lower energy costs for families and strengthen the local economy. He said that as a base for economic growth, the district ranks among the top in Texas for new energy projects, with Webb and Starr Counties leading the way in generation and development.“I've always said that South Texas doesn't have to choose between oil and gas and clean energy,” said Congressman Cuellar. “We can do both – and that's exactly what we're doing. Our district is producing more energy, creating more jobs, and generating more local tax revenue than ever before. This growth keeps costs down for every household in South Texas while ensuring reliable power for years to come.”Cuellar said because his district is a powerhouse for new energy, good jobs are being created.“When I talk with families in places like Laredo, Zapata, or Rio Grande City, I hear the same thing: people just want steady work, affordable energy, and a better future for their kids. That's what these projects bring — not slogans, but results. They mean paychecks, progress, and pride for our communities,” Cuellar said.During a webinar with reporters, Cuellar said his district is home to 30 active clean energy projects, generating 3,548 megawatts (MW) of power across six counties — with 18 more projects planned that will add another 3,062 MW of new capacity in the coming years. Editor's Note: Go to the Rio Grande Guardian to read the full story.Go to www.riograndeguardian.com to read the latest border news stories and watch the latest news videos.

BROWNSVILLE, Texas - Cameron County Commissioners Court is moving ahead with plans to purchase an ownership interest in the Brownsville & Matamoros Bridge Company from Union Pacific Railroad.Brownsville & Matamoras Bridge Company co-owns Brownsville & Matamoros Bridge with the government of Mexico. Cameron County Judge Eddie Treviño, Jr., said a complex negotiation process to acquire ownership began two years ago. He said the transaction is expected to close in late 2025 or early 2026.“Securing the Brownsville & Matamoros Bridge Company is a transformative moment for Cameron County. We are preserving a vital piece of binational infrastructure and deepening our partnership with Mexico to support binational transportation, commerce, tourism and cultural exchange, which has a tremendously positive impact on Cameron County and the entire Rio Grande Valley,” Treviño said.Treviño spoke about the negotiations in an interview with Ron Whitlock Reports at the conclusion of this week's commissioners court meeting. Here is an audio recording of the interview.Go to www.riograndeguardian.com to read the latest border news stories and watch the latest news videos.

PHARR, Texas - The wild fluctuations in bridge crossing numbers have made it hard to analyze longterm trends, says Pharr International Bridge Director Luis Bazan.In his most recent report to the Pharr Bridge Board, Bazan said he will likely not have a clear picture of how things are going until the second quarter next year. The fluctuations have been caused in part by changes in U.S. tariff policy.“You can see a lot of the ebbs and flows and a lot of the peaks and valleys that we've been talking about since February, and now you're starting to see it also with neighboring bridges and even in Laredo,” Bazan said.“We're going to continue to see the inconsistencies, the discrepancies, the variables, the factors, whatever you want to call them. We're probably not going to get a clear view of what's going to happen until next year. And not until the second quarter of calendar year 2026.”The Pharr International Bridge's new fiscal year started Oct. 1.“We're going to start also looking at other the ways to get out there and do a little bit more to increase our market share. We've been talking to the leadership. We have our collaboration with the (Pharr) EDC (Economic Development Corporation) and the (Pharr) Chamber, and there are a lot of things that are percolating right now.”Bazan made his comments after giving a report on border crossings for August, 2025. This audio recording has Bazan's monthly report in full, along with Pharr Bridge Board consultant Eddie Gutierrez's revenue report.Go to www.riograndeguardian.com to read the latest border news stories and watch the latest news videos.

BROWNSVILLE, Texas - CIL Capital held a groundbreaking ceremony for a new manufacturing plant on Texas 48 in Brownsville, close to the Port of Brownsville. The 181,000 square foot facility will be known as Anchor Industrial.The developers believe the $20 million project will generate 120-plus jobs. Carlos Garcia, a customs broker and president of Border Trade Alliance-Mexico, invited CIL to participate in the project. The facility will be built by Martín Anzaldúa of Grupo Río San Juan.This audio recording includes the remarks of all the speakers at the groundbreaking ceremony. They were: Garcia, Brownsville Mayor John Cowen, Jr., Greater Brownsville Incentives Corporation CEO Gilberto Salinas, Guillermo Rico-Leal, director of business development and marketing for the Port of Brownsville, Anzaldúa, and Joaquin Spamer, president and founder of CIL Group.The emcee was Dalith Cantu, industrial development executive for CIL.CIL hopes the facility will be open within the next eight months. Go to www.riograndeguardian.com to read the latest border news stories and watch the latest news videos.

HARLINGEN, Texas - Cameron County Drainage District No. 5 is partnering with the City of Harlingen to improve drainage.The first drainage project is the widening of the North Main Drain that the drainage district owns. The City and CCDD5 held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to kickoff the project.At the event, CCDD5 President Steve Jennings gave the Rio Grande Guardian an exclusive interview. He said that his home has flooded four times in the four decades he has lived there. He said that is sort of inevitable when the land is flat and rises only one foot every mile. Jennings said CCDD5 plans to widen drains and build more detention ponds.Jennings thanked the City of Harlingen for using its manpower and equipment to make drainage improvements on property the drainage district owns.At the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Ron Whitlock Reports secured an audio interview with Harlingen Mayor Norma Sepulveda. Here it is.Go to www.riograndeguardian.com to read the latest border news stories and watch the latest news videos.

BROWNSVILLE, Texas - Jesse Acevedo just completed a pipefitting course at Texas Southmost College.In an interview with Ron Whitlock of Ron Whitlock Reports he said he would recommend the program to anyone because pipefitters are in big demand and the wages are good. Acevedo is about to start work for Bechtel at the Port of Brownsville. The company is building a liquefied natural gas export terminal for NextDecade.Go to www.riograndeguardian.com to read the latest border news stories and watch the latest news videos.

PALMVIEW, Texas - U.S. Rep. Monica De La Cruz spoke about congressional redistricting and Mexico's water debt to the U.S. at a top GOP dinner in Palmview.The event - titled the Lincoln-Reagan Dinner - was hosted by Hidalgo County Republican Party and held at the Stallion Event Center. De La Cruz introduced the keynote speaker, U.S. Senate candidate Ken Paxton.De La Cruz recalled a time she met President Trump and the two were looking at a map of Texas and the Gulf of America. “He turns to me and he says, well, Congresswoman, where are you from? I hear you're from South Texas, but where exactly? And we're looking at the Gulf of America. And I said, Sir, I am from right here, Mr. President. And I point right there to the very most southern tip of Texas. And he looks at me and says, well, you barely got in though, didn't you?” De La Cruz recalled.She said she responded: “I'm proud to be here. I'm proud to be in Texas.”The Edinburg Republican knew she would not have much time with the president and so she had to make the most of it. “There's a clock. You've only got 30 seconds. You'd better say something good, and you better say something fast. And so I turned to the President. I said, Mr. President, I have urgent news. He says, What's that? Take a deep breath. Mexico is screwing us. President Trump, Mexico is screwing us with water. And he goes, Mexico's screwing us. He goes, James, get over here. Why is Mexico screwing us? Tell him. Tell him.”De La Cruz said Trump told her that Mexico will deliver on its water treaty obligations. “And you know what? He kept his promise. We've got water from Mexico. We're holding back money from the Mexican government, and we are getting South Texas farmers the water that they need and they deserve. And I'm so grateful for President Trump for listening to what we needed in South Texas and actually doing it.”De La Cruz then spoke about successes she has had with the federal budget.“We've been able to bring $1 billion right here to the Rio Grande Valley, (and) $280 million in a carve out from the disaster emergency fund. That has never been done before. And no other district got that money,” De La Cruz said.Editor's Note: To read the full story go the Rio Grande Guardian website.Go to www.riograndeguardian.com to read the latest border news stories and watch the latest news videos.

PALMVIEW, Texas - U.S. Senate candidate Ken Paxton says he wants to take to the Washington the same sort of creativity and courage he has shown as Texas attorney general. Paxton was keynote speaker at the Hidalgo County Republican Party's Lincoln-Reagan Dinner. The event was held Aug. 21 at the Stallion Event Center in Palmview.“I want to bring something different to Washington. The kind of creativity that I'm trying to bring to my job here, I want to take that to Washington. The kind of courage we've had to exhibit in Texas, I want to take that to Washington, because we don't see it,” Paxton said.“In most of our US senators, I don't see it, including the one I that I'm running against. I go around the state and I say, what has our senator accomplished for you? I have a really hard time getting an answer.“And, after 23 years, that's four terms… first of all I am convinced no one should be running for five terms. That's 30 years as a U.S. senator. John Cornyn has been in office since I was in college. I'm 62 years old. So, just for that alone, it's time for a change.”Paxton then explained what he believes is lacking in Washington.“We need creativity. We need somebody that will go to Washington, like a Ted Cruz, who will say, enough, the budget deficit is out of control. We don't need Second Amendment gun restrictions that John Cornyn helped Joe Biden pass and was congratulated by him and criticized by Donald Trump. “We need somebody who will fight for border security, which we haven't had. And we need somebody who will work with Donald Trump, not just because he's in a primary. And so I want to take the same kind of hope, same kind of courage, the same kind of characteristics that you exhibit to Washington. And I want to have the opportunity change the culture. And I know that sounds sometimes impossible, but I've watched what we've been able to do for the Texas Attorney General's office, and we've had an impact.”Here are Paxton's remarks in full.Go to www.riograndeguardian.com to read the latest border news stories and watch the latest news videos.

PHARR, Texas - Dub Taylor is COO of Texas PACE Authority. He recently spoke at an event hosted jointly by the Pharr Economic Development Corporation and the Rio Grande Valley Partnership. It was titled the Pharr Commercial & Investment Summit and it was held at the Pharr One Center.At the event, Taylor gave a presentation that included slides showing where a PACE project had worked in Texas. There were lots of examples shown in East Texas, the Panhandle and Central Texas. But there were no examples from the Texas-Mexico border region. The nearest were in San Antonio. In an interview with the Rio Grande Guardian, Taylor after his presentation, Taylor said that is why he was in Pharr - to spread the word about the benefits. The Pace website states: "Property Assessed Clean Energy (TX-PACE) is a proven financial tool that incentivizes Texas' property owners to upgrade facility infrastructure with little or no capital outlay. Approved by State legislation and established by local governments, TX-PACE programs enable owners to lower their operating costs and use the savings to pay for eligible water conservation, energy efficiency, resiliency, and distributed generation projects. Owners gain access to private, affordable, long-term (typically 20-30 years) financing that is not available through traditional funding avenues." Here is an audio recording of Taylor's presentation at the Pharr event. Go to www.riograndeguardian.com to read the latest border news stories and watch the latest news videos.

MISSION, Texas - The Greater Mission Chamber of Commerce held the latest in its Buenas Tardes Luncheon series on Aug. 13, 2025. It centered on a panel discussion titled “The State of Current Business.” There were six panelists: Hidalgo County Judge Richard Cortez; Rick Carrera, director of economic development for the Council for South Texas Economic Progress; Joe Quiroga, president of Texas National Bank; Juan Francisco Ochoa, Jr., CEO of Taco Palenque Group; Dante Galeazzi, CEO and President of Texas International Produce Association; and state Rep. Sergio Muñoz of Mission. The moderator was Kimberly Selber, associate dean of community engagement in the College of Liberal Arts at UT-Rio Grande Valley. Here is an audio recording of everything Rep. Muñoz said at the event. Go to www.riograndeguardian.com to read the latest border news stories and watch the latest news videos.

MISSION, Texas - The Greater Mission Chamber of Commerce held the latest in its Buenas Tardes Luncheon series on Aug. 13, 2025. It centered on a panel discussion titled “The State of Current Business.” There were six panelists: Hidalgo County Judge Richard Cortez; Rick Carrera, director of economic development for the Council for South Texas Economic Progress; Joe Quiroga, president of Texas National Bank; Juan Francisco Ochoa, Jr., CEO of Taco Palenque Group; Dante Galeazzi, CEO and President of Texas International Produce Association; and state Rep. Sergio Muñoz of Mission. The moderator was Kimberly Selber, associate dean of community engagement in the College of Liberal Arts at UT-Rio Grande Valley. Here is an audio recording of everything TIPA's Galeazzi said at the event. **Go to www.riograndeguardian.com to read the latest border news stories and watch the latest news videos.

MISSION, Texas - The Greater Mission Chamber of Commerce held the latest in its Buenas Tardes Luncheon series on Aug. 13, 2025. It centered on a panel discussion titled “The State of Current Business.” There were six panelists: Hidalgo County Judge Richard Cortez; Rick Carrera, director of economic development for the Council for South Texas Economic Progress; Joe Quiroga, president of Texas National Bank; Juan Francisco Ochoa, Jr., CEO of Taco Palenque Group; Dante Galeazzi, CEO and President of Texas International Produce Association; and state Rep. Sergio Muñoz of Mission. The moderator was Kimberly Selber, associate dean of community engagement in the College of Liberal Arts at UT-Rio Grande Valley. Here is an audio recording of everything Taco Palenque's Ochoa said at the event. Go to www.riograndeguardian.com to read the latest border news stories and watch the latest news videos.

MISSION, Texas - The Greater Mission Chamber of Commerce held the latest in its Buenas Tardes Luncheon series on Aug. 13, 2025. It centered on a panel discussion titled “The State of Current Business.” There were six panelists: Hidalgo County Judge Richard Cortez; Rick Carrera, director of economic development for the Council for South Texas Economic Progress; Joe Quiroga, president of Texas National Bank; Juan Francisco Ochoa, Jr., CEO of Taco Palenque Group; Dante Galeazzi, CEO and President of Texas International Produce Association; and state Rep. Sergio Muñoz of Mission. The moderator was Kimberly Selber, associate dean of community engagement in the College of Liberal Arts at UT-Rio Grande Valley. Here is an audio recording of everything COSTEP's Carrera said at the event. Go to www.riograndeguardian.com to read the latest border news stories and watch the latest news videos.

MISSION, Texas - The Greater Mission Chamber of Commerce held the latest in its Buenas Tardes Luncheon series on Aug. 13, 2025. It centered on a panel discussion titled “The State of Current Business.” There were six panelists: Hidalgo County Judge Richard Cortez; Rick Carrera, director of economic development for the Council for South Texas Economic Progress; Joe Quiroga, president of Texas National Bank; Juan Francisco Ochoa, Jr., CEO of Taco Palenque Group; Dante Galeazzi, CEO and President of Texas International Produce Association; and state Rep. Sergio Muñoz of Mission. The moderator was Kimberly Selber, associate dean of community engagement in the College of Liberal Arts at UT-Rio Grande Valley. Here is an audio recording of everything Judge Cortez said at the event. Go to www.riograndeguardian.com to read the latest border news stories and watch the latest news videos.

MISSION, Texas - Joe Quiroga is president of Texas National Bank. He was one of six panelists at a Greater Mission Chamber of Commerce event on August 13 titled “Buenas Tardes Luncheon.The panel discussion was titled The State of Current Business. In his remarks, Quiroga said there were positive and negative things to report about the current Rio Grande Valley economy. Here are his remarks. Go to www.riograndeguardian.com to read the latest border news stories and watch the latest news videos.

HARLINGEN, Texas - The Council for South Texas Economic Progress recently hosted a  Lunch & Learn session at Texas State Technical College. The event focused on RFI Best Practices and was organized by COSTEP's director of economic development, Ric Carrera.Carrera said RFI Best Practices is a crucial for driving smart growth and meaningful investment across the Rio South Texas region.“We were thrilled to welcome a full house of regional economic development professionals to our latest Lunch & Learn session,” Carrera said after the event had concluded.“Special thanks to Mr. Sean Ferguson, from the Texas Office of Economic Development & Tourism, for his clear and valuable perspective, and to Mr. Michael Camden from Ryan, for making the trip south and offering a sharp view from the site selector's seat,” Carrera said.“Our sincere gratitude to Harlingen EDC for hosting us in their space, and as always, to our Board of Directors and generous Sponsors, whose continued support powers everything we do.”Here is an audio recording of everything Ferguson and Camden said at the event.Go to www.riograndeguardian.com to read the latest border news stories and watch the latest news videos.

LAREDO, Texas - The 32nd Annual Pathways For Trade Symposium takes place at the Laredo County Club on Thursday, Aug. 28. The evening before a reception will take place titled the Trade Ambassador's Dinner.The symposium is being hosted, as always, by the Laredo Economic Development Corporation, which has served Los Dos Laredos for 58 years. This year, the symposium's title is “The New Era of Trade: Perspectives & Opportunities.” The symposium will explore the latest trends, policies, and challenges shaping global trade. A big focus this year will be the application of Artificial Intelligence in the logistics and manufacturing sectors.David A. Stedman, president and CEO of Laredo EDC, says he cannot think of a year when the symposium was more important. “I don't think there has ever been a time where international trade is more on the national topic and horizon, with the advent of the America First trade policy from the Trump administration,” Stedman told the Rio Grande Guardian International News Service.“We have to be very astute and conscious of our supply chain, at a time when nearshoring is taking on a whole new dimension. We're basically reinventing the American supply chain as we go.”Stedman said he is pleased with the lineup of speakers assembled.“What we have done here with this symposium is bring together a collection of experts to give people an ongoing explanation of all the things that are going to happen and have happened with respect to our trade, not only with Mexico, but with Canada. We have a nice collection of local and national experts to give clarity to the situation, which is very volatile and very important to the future of the American economy.”Here is an audio podcast featuring LEDC leaders that previews the symposium.Go to www.riograndeguardian.com to read the latest border news stories and watch the latest news videos.

BROWNSVILLE, Texas - On Friday, Aug. 1, the City of Brownsville and their outside consultants, Freese and Nichols, hosted a community information session about their new Downtown Renaissance Master Plan.Longtime Brownsville-based realtor Larry Jokl was sitting in the audience. At the end of the presentation Jokl got up and walked to the podium. After being given the microphone, he said he could not understand why the city planners and outside consultants had not discussed the planned Renaissance Park.“We have not heard one word about what could become the largest single project in Downtown Brownsville, and that is the Renaissance Park. Nothing has been said yet,” Jokl said. He proceeded to explain the project.“This project is a collaborative effort between the city and the county. They're going to put together an inter-local agreement, which will be managed by a TIRZ board. That organization will administer what is going to become what we hope will be the largest single project you will see downtown.”TIRZ stands for Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone.“It (the interlock agreement) is going to come, hopefully, into fruition here in the next couple of weeks,” Jokl said. Jokl asked if Brownsville Mayor John Cowen, Jr., was in the audience. Cowen had earlier spoken about the Downtown Renaissance Master Plan. Cowen was still at the event. Jokl proceeded to ask Cowen to nod his head if what he was saying was correct. Mayor Cowen nodded his head.“He (Cowen) is going to meet with the judge,” Jokl said, referring to Cameron County Judge Eddie Treviño. “This is something that… I'm not going into the particulars, other than it will put downtown Brownsville, all of it, on the map for years to come.”Jokl continued: “The project could consist totally of about $500 million, which would be the largest thing that this city has seen in a long time downtown. So I'm very hopeful that I'm going to meet with some of these people, we're going to bring the developer and the stakeholders back into this.”Jokl said he could not go into great detail about the project at this stage.“It's all still being worked on at this moment. But we want to begin to hear an awful lot about what's going to happen with this project and Downtown Brownsville.” Jokl said. “It's going to help all of the owners of properties in the area. There will be all kinds of new and additional developments, which will take place over the next few years. You're going to have a riverfront that is going to be totally different.”Jokl added: “They're going to remove a lot of the area between St. Francis and the old bridge. It's going to be something similar to a River Walk. And if this gets started here soon, Matamoros wants to do the same thing. So, hopefully, everybody will begin to hear about it. I wanted to get in front of you because I heard absolutely nothing about it at this meeting.”Editor's Note: Here is an audio recording of Jokl's remarks at the City of Brownsville event. Go to www.riograndeguardian.com to read the latest border news stories and watch the latest news videos.

EDINBURG, Texas - Pam Bentsen Havens and her mother, Marge Bentsen, have explained why they donated land for a million gallon water tower in north Edinburg.They said it was the right thing to do for the community. Here is the interview:The Bentsens gave the Rio Grande Guardian an exclusive interview at the conclusion of a ribbon-cutting ceremony the City of Edinburg held to unveil the new water tower.The new water tower cost $5 million to build. The money came from the City of Edinburg and Edinburg Economic Development Corporation.Edinburg Mayor Ramiro Garza described the new water tower as a “major infrastructure project” that “reflects the continued growth and resilience” of the city. “Today we celebrate the completion of this new water tower, an investment that will strengthen our city's water system, help us meet the demands of our growing population and ensure that our residents and businesses continue to receive the reliable service they deserve,” Garza said.“This project is more than just the concrete and steel that you see behind me. It's about planning for the future and ensuring that our infrastructure keeps pace with the progress we are seeing across our community.”Garza continued: “As we continue to welcome new families, new businesses and new developments, we also recognize the importance of reinforcing the systems that support daily life. Clean, dependable water is one of the most critical services that we can provide, and this water tower is an essential commitment to that.”Garza thanked the Bentsen family and the Edinburg Economic Development Corporation for its investment in the project.“This is yet another step forward in our efforts to build a stronger, smarter Edinburg. And, we're not done. We will continue investing in infrastructure, improving services, and making sure that Edinburg remains a city we can all be proud to call home,” Garza added.Go to www.riograndeguardian.com to read the latest border news stories and watch the latest news videos.

WESLACO, Texas - The Lower Rio Grande Valley Development Council set up the Small Cities Coalition in 2011 and, potentially, 46 cities could participate.Unfortunately, not all do, said LRGVDC Executive Director Manuel Cruz, at a recent meeting of the group.But that does not stop the LRGVDC from providing great services to the small cities, Cruz said. These include programs to help with economic development, job creation, infrastructure, and tourism. Here is an audio recording of Cruz's presentation to the Small Cities Coalition.Go to www.riograndeguardian.com to read the latest border news stories and watch the latest news videos.

WESLACO, Texas - Hidalgo County Regional Mobility Authority Chairman Robert L. Lozano has made a plea for unity when it comes to transportation projects across the region.Lozano made his comments at a special meeting of the Rio Grande Valley Metropolitan Planning Organization policy board. He is a board member of the MPO.HCRMA did not get its proposal for more funding for Segment 4 of the Hidalgo County Loop project passed yet Lozano, in n effort to show unity, still voted for the staff recommendation of RGVMPO.“My message is the same one that I started with many months ago, it's a message of unity,” Lozano said.The special meeting of the RGVMPO policy board was called because the group is facing a hard deadline. If it does not spend the money it has accrued soon it runs the risk of losing future funding from the Texas Department of Transportation. The MPO has carried over $102 million in what is known as Category 7 funds. Year after year the MPO carries over the funds because many of the projects on its to do list are not shovel ready. In his remarks, Lozano pointed out that HCRMA does not normally seek Category 7 funding from the MPO. He said they made a pitch for funding for a particular segment of the County Loop because the MPO found itself in a “use it or lose it” situation.  “If the (RGVMPO) TAC (Technical Advisory Committee has a project and they know, they understand, that there's a unified desire to move this project forward, then I think that should influence the recommendation that the TAC is giving to the policy board, because they understand that in that community, in that area, that is what is being requested. That's what the need is. And the need is bubbling up in a unified fashion,” Lozano said.Lozano then answered his own question. Why did the RMA bring forward its proposal for Category 7 funding.“First, use it or lose it. Second, it's my understanding that the RMA historically has not requested Category 7 funds. However, all of y'all were witness to… the strong desire to accelerate Section A, 1 and 2,” Lozano said. Editor's Note: To read the full story go to the Rio Grande Guardian website. Go to www.riograndeguardian.com to read the latest border news stories and watch the latest news videos.

MCALLEN, Texas - The minority leader of the Texas House says he is going to ensure Hidalgo County Democratic Party gets the funding it needs to be competitive in the 2026 election.State Rep. Gene Wu of Houston visited the Valley recently to hear from Young Democrats and grassroots progressives. In a meeting at the Hidalgo County Democratic Party HQ in McAllen, the young activists told him they felt the region had been neglected by the state and national party, thereby allowing Republicans to make significant inroads. Hidalgo County Democratic Party Chairman Richard Gonzales was at the meeting. He said he has warned every local Democratic Party elected official to expect a Republican challenger at the next election. “The Republicans are well-funded,” Gonzales said. In an in-depth interview with the Rio Grande Guardian, Wu said:“In my time as caucus chair, I've talked a lot of communities, and talked a lot of communities that say they've kind of been left behind, kind of been forgotten. And, I thought about this. I thought about South Texas, I thought about the Rio Grande Valley. And I wanted to make sure that they were not forgotten, that there are people who remember who they are and realize that they're important. And I want to make sure that that my actions reflect that.”Asked what he had learned from both a tour of Hidalgo County and a meeting with Young Democrats, Wu said:“I learned that this is a beautiful community that wants to move ahead, that wants to do better. But, because we didn't put in the resources, we didn't put in the time and the investments - and we're not just talking about the state, we're not just talking about Democrats, we're talking about everybody - we left this place behind. And that is a shame, because this is such a wonderful place with such wonderful people.”Editor's Note: To read the full story go to the Rio Grande Guardian website.Go to www.riograndeguardian.com to read the latest border news stories and watch the latest news videos.

MCALLEN, Texas - Julio Salinas is chairman of Texas Young Democrats. On Saturday, July 12, 2025, Salinas took state Rep. Gene Wu of Houston on a tour of key locations in Hidalgo County. Wu is minority leader in the Texas House of Representatives. Following the tour, Hidalgo County Young Democrats met with Wu. They spoke about the “devastating impact” ICE raids were having on Valley communities. And they impressed upon Wu the need for more investment in the Democratic Party in the Rio Grande Valley. Salinas said he would like to see Texas House members come down to the Valley for an “unvarnished” tour, to see the sights the Rio Grande Valley Partnership does not take state lawmakers to when they do their bi-annual Valley Legislative Tour. At the conclusion of the meeting, Salinas gave an interview to the Rio Grande Guardian. Go to www.riograndeguardian.com to read the latest border news stories and watch the latest news videos.

René Xavier González, head of new business development and marketing for Sidee Industrial Development in Matamoros, has given a Mexican perspective to the idea of a bi-national auto cluster initiative.The idea has been proposed by the Council for South Texas Economic Progress. González said some companies may need convincing about the data they share but he thinks there will be buy-in. “Sometimes there are issues about confidentiality and security. A lot of companies would rather kind of keep kind of a low profile,” González said. “But the fact that everybody's here, the fact that everybody is representing all the individual EDCs is already a huge win for COSTEP. Cobifer is here. We're representing CODEM, the Matamoros business community. It is very encouraging to see.” Gonzalez continued:  “From the Matamoros side, we're in. We just need steps. Like, okay, give us a data registry, make sure that it's in Spanish. My job would be to talk to the 30 members of CODEM, sell them on the idea and make sure that this is something viable, something that benefits their individual business.  “So, for example, in order to become part of the cluster, the individual manufacturing companies have to be have to register and pay a fee. So, for example, my job with the three automotive manufacturing companies that I have in my industrial park, I have to go tell them, this is why this benefits you. You have to sign up for this. So, the more informed that we all are, the better that we can actually help sell (the project). Go to www.riograndeguardian.com to read the latest border news stories and watch the latest news videos.

SOUTH PADRE ISLAND, Texas - South Padre Island City Council Member Kerry Schwartz wants to see an Eco Center District established to capitalize on the amount of interest there is in ecotourism.Schwartz made his case at a special workshop meeting the council held to discuss expansion of the island's convention center.“Our mission really should be about ecotourism, because ecotourism is huge. I'd like to see us form an SPI Eco Center District. We already have an entertainment district for our beaches and all that,” Schwartz said.“But when you think about it, you've got the World Birding Center there, and you've got Sea Turtle Rescue. Turn that into an eco tourism center, a nature center, adding the theater and exhibition annex to the convention center,” Schwartz said. In his presentation, Schwartz said “environmental hazards” are being created both by the development of liquefied natural gas export terminals at the Port of Brownsville plants and SpaceX.Here is an audio recording of his remarks:Go to www.riograndeguardian.com to read the latest border news stories and watch the latest news videos.

MISSION, Texas - Hidalgo County Commissioner Ever Villarreal has announced what he says is an “amazing” transportation project that will help transform the western part of the county.Villarreal said the county, working with the City of Mission, is going to become “project sponsor” for two sections of the proposed county loop between Granjeno and Penitas and turn them into non-toll projects. By becoming project sponsor, Villarreal said, the county, working with the City of Mission, can help find funding for the two sections, ensuring they get built much faster. “It is an amazing project of not just for the City of Mission, but for the City of McAllen also. That is because the City of McAllen, as you know… they are part owner of the Anzalduas Bridge,” Villarreal said. “And it would be amazing, not just for McAllen and Mission financially, but also for our neighbors on the west side of the county, for the growth this amazing project can usher in.”Here is an interview the Rio Grande Guardian secured with Commissioner Villarreal.Go to www.riograndeguardian.com to read the latest border news stories and watch the latest news videos.

MCALLEN, Texas - The former editor and publisher of El Periódico USA has launched a new binational Spanish language media project called Debate X Media, LLC.The plan, says Jose Luis B. Garza, is to highlight the potential and accomplishments of the Hispanic population in the Rio Grande Valley and become a binational news agency.“We have to project the importance of this region because it's totally different to other regions in the country,” Garza said.In an in-depth audio interview with the Rio Grande Guardian, Garza spoke about his time at El Periódico USA, the growth of Hispanic-owned news media publications, and his plans for Debate X. El Periódico USA is a newspaper published in McAllen that initiated in 1986, focusing on the South Texas community. Jose Luis Garza worked at El Periódico USA, initially as an advisor and worked his way up the media company. “They gave me a lot of satisfaction, experiences and big opportunities to understand how the Spanish media works in this country,” Garza said. “Initially around the 90s, the Hispanic population, Hispanic marketing, Hispanic publications, were not so important. But after that, soon we were growing in the country.”Garza said the growth of Hispanic publications allowed him to participate with the National Association of Hispanic Publications, an advocacy organization for Spanish language publications. He said he was vice president of the organization and national president in 2013. Garza was born in Gustavo Diaz Ordaz, Mexico and said many people from his birthplace are now living in the Rio Grande Valley. He was previously chairman of the McAllen Chamber of Commerce's International Committee.After leaving El Periodico USA, Garza said he founded Debate X, an agency for expanding Hispanic news coverage. He said his company strives to give advice to other newspapers and he has the support of his family and friends on the project. He said he chose the name of the news agency, Debate X, because it translates the same in both English and Spanish. Garza will be working on the project with Luis Cantu, former vice president for international business and community development for McAllen Chamber of Commerce. “We are reporting, we are doing work on both sides of the world,” Garza said. “This is a national project.”Garza said he founded Debate X after leaving El Periodico USA because his company strives to give advice to other expanding news companies in the form of a news agency. He said he met with about 15 congressmen at the end of April in Washington D.C., and spoke with the communications team at the White House. Garza said Congress was receptive to Debate X's plans to play an active role in aiding the Hispanic newspaper community.“We need to let the rest of the country, the rest of Texas, Mexico, know who we are, what we are doing, and the potential of this area,” Garza said. “This is an extraordinary area, we have problems like any other ones, but we have extraordinary opportunities here.”Go to www.riograndeguardian.com to read the latest border news stories and watch the latest news videos.

WESLACO, TEXAS - A spokesperson for MHP Salud says no staff member has lost their job because of federal funding cuts to the Affordable Care Act Navigator Program.Heather Morgan is vice president of communications and business development for MHP Salud. She oversees brand development and management, reputation, communications, and positioning. In an email to the Rio Grande Guardian, she did confirm that the Weslaco-based non-profit has been informed of federal funding cuts to the Navigator program.“MHP Salud has a long-standing history in the RGV. We provide multiple services to the community to provide families and individuals with health education, child health and developmental support, health insurance education and application assistance, and much more,” said Heather Morgan, vice president of communications and business development for MHP Salud.“Our programming array includes Parents as Teachers, Familias Saludables, Silver Connections, Connecting Kids to Coverage, and the Navigator program.”Morgan continued: “While MHP Salud has received notice that funding for the Navigator program will be reduced, we will receive funding to continue serving the RGV through the Navigator program, as well as our other programs.”Morgan added: “Moreover, while the funding reduction will impact staffing, final decisions have not yet been made, and no one was informed that August 31 will be their last day of employment.”Morgan wrote to the Guardian following comments made by Moises Arjona, collective impact director for Unidos Contra la Diabetes. During a webinar hosted by Hidalgo County Prosperity Task Force, and in a subsequent interview with the Guardian, Arjona spoke about the impact of federal funding cuts to the Affordable Care Act.Morgan said Arjona does not work for MHP Salud and does not speak for the nonprofit. Asked if he would like to respond, Arjona said: “What I shared (at the Hidalgo County Prosperity Task Force webinar) was that from the community health workers who are employed at MHP Salud, those who reached out and provided me with information regarding funding and who were looking for open job positions.”Arjona continued: “We value MHP Salud as a partner in the community and they do great work, but as they have stated in their email, funding is being reduced and that will affect the work that is being done in the community.”Arjona added: “MHP Salud is a provider for the Affordable Care Act and many of our folks in the community depend on MHP Salud to continue to help them navigate the Market Place during open enrollment. Our population is not tech savvy and needs help, especially during open enrollment.”Here is part of an interview Arjona gave the Guardian.Go to www.riograndeguardian.com to read the latest border news stories and watch the latest news videos.