LAREDO, Tex. (KGNS) - A traffic stop led to the discovery of several undocumented individuals this morning, February 4, after Border Patrol stopped a truck on MM 31 on I-35.

Once discovered, all the passengers were removed from the truck immediately. Record checks showed all 10 individuals were in the county illegally.

Following this, the individuals were processed and the truck was determined stolen and turned over to the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS).

LAREDO, Tex. (KGNS) - City of Laredo officials are in Austin this week to push for policy support, funding and economic development.

Earlier this week, the Mayor, Dr. Victor Trevino, council members and Laredo Police and Fire chiefs headed to the state capital for a series of meetings.

City officials spoke with Texas Parks and Wildlife and the Department of Public Safety about some of the grants awarded to Laredo as well as future funding opportunities.

Trevino believes these trips are vital in making sure our city is well-represented so it can continue to grow. Noting, “If we don’t come out here, then other areas might get the funding. Because people who advocate for the place they live in are the ones that get heard. If we don’t come over here, then funding might not be distributed like they’re supposed to, so it’s very important that we come here, say what we need, how important we are and continue to achieve our message.“

He added that city officials are set to meet with the Lieutenant Governor, Dan Patrick, to discuss some of the immigration concerns. The Mayor is expected to return from Austin this Thursday, February 6.

LAREDO, Tex. (KGNS) - The recent changes in immigration policies are causing some concerns for people in the community, especially after being victims of a crime.

The Laredo Police Department is working to calm uneasy feelings about mass deportations while encouraging those who have been a victim of crime to come forward.

The department says that while officers have helped other agencies such as Border Patrol and the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in the past, their purpose is to be an additional presence to safeguard the community while these operations are taking place.

However, if a person has committed a crime, Laredo Police will charge that person, and depending on their citizenship status, they will then turn them over to the appropriate agency.

Program Coordinator for Victim Services with LPD Norma Garcia believes that a person’s citizenship status could deter them from seeking help from law enforcement.

Mentioning, “Citizenship is something that the perpetrator usually uses to manipulate their victims, especially if it’s a victim of domestic violence, stalking or human trafficking. It is a big concern, but we want the victims to know that we are still here to help, we are still here working for them and to assist them in any way that we can.“

Some of the services victims can receive are counseling, medical assistance and relocation services. Additionally, the department reminds the public that its officers are not going out of their way to serve out immigration.

To reach the LPD Crime Victim Assistance Unit, you can call (956) 795-2933.

In a separate article, we hear from some community members about their thoughts on the matter.

LAREDO, Tex. (KGNS) - The Laredo Police Department is asking the community for assistance in identifying a suspect related to a theft case.

The alleged theft took place at a Target located at the 1900 block of Bob Bullock Loop on January 23 and was last seen wearing a grey Puma sweater, blue jeans and glasses.

If you have any information about the location or identity of the individual, you are asked to contact Laredo Crime Stoppers at (956) 727-TIPS. You may be eligible for a cash reward of up to $1,000.

LAREDO, Tex. (KGNS) - United Independent School District (UISD) is inviting parents to learn about the dangers of vaping at a session on February 5.

The event will be held at the UISD Student Activity Center (SAC) from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. The district’s Guidance & Counseling Department will give a presentation on vaping and its risks.

UISD hosts monthly sessions to keep parents informed on important topics affecting students.

For more details, parents can call 956-473-5248.

AUSTIN, Tex. (KGNS) - Texas National Guard soldiers can arrest and detain people for entering the U.S. illegally from Mexico under an agreement with the Trump administration that expands the military’s role in immigration enforcement.

The new authority is a shift for the Guard and the military broadly, which has been limited to a supporting role for the Border Patrol. Republican Gov. Greg Abbott gave Texas Guard members the power to arrest migrants on trespassing charges in 2021, but that order was limited to encounters on border landowners’ private property.

Texas’ pact with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, signed Friday, gives the Guard full authority to investigate, arrest and detain migrants for purposes of deporting them. Guard members must work “only under the supervision of a CBP official” and must be able to speak with a CBP official “by cellular phone, radio, or other similar technology,” the agreement says.

“This boosts manpower for border security,” Abbott said late Sunday on the social media platform X.

The military has been limited to tasks like surveillance and building barriers, adhering to the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 to keep the armed forces away from civilian law enforcement. But advisers close to President Donald Trump argue there are legal grounds to summon the military to combat narcotics and mass migration.

Trump already has broken from predecessors with military deportation flights. He said he would use a detention center at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, to hold tens of thousands of the “worst criminal aliens.”

The Defense Department deployed 1,600 active-duty troops to the U.S.-Mexico border during Trump’s first week in office and had plans to send more. It said Monday more hundreds of military members had arrived in Guantánamo Bay.

Democratic state Rep. Gene Wu said Texas’ agreement makes law enforcement’s job more difficult and dangerous and that Abbott “continues to generate more hate against an already terrified and vulnerable population.”

Matthew Hudak, who recently retired as deputy chief of the Border Patrol, noted that state and federal authorities already work closely together.

“It’s not giving (the Guard) blanket authority to stop people,” Hudak said. “This more than anything sends the message that the federal and state agencies are working together to solve this problem.”

Since 2021, the Texas Guard has had a prominent role in Abbott’s Operation Lone Star that has included busing tens of thousands of migrants to Democratic-controlled cities and installing a barrier of giant buoys in the Rio Grande. Abbott was frequently at odds with the Biden administration over immigration enforcement, historically the federal government’s responsibility.

Abbott has defended Texas’ border operations as a “stopgap” between enforcement at the federal level during President Joe Biden’s administration.

LAREDO, Tex. (KGNS) - Mexico’s Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection has confirmed the arrest of a suspected criminal leader believed to be behind violent acts in border communities, including Coahuila, Nuevo León, and Tamaulipas.

The announcement was made Monday on X.

The suspect, identified as “Ricardo N,” is allegedly linked to cases of extortion and attacks on police forces. Authorities also suspect him of coordinating and participating in an August 2023 attack in Nuevo Laredo, which resulted in the deaths of two officers and injuries to five others.

Ricardo N reportedly had outstanding warrants for homicide and kidnapping. Officials credit his capture to the collaboration of multiple law enforcement agencies in Mexico.