ZAPATA, Tex. (KGNS) - A man was arrested in Zapata after deputies say they found drugs and cash during a traffic stop.

The Zapata County Sheriff’s Office said deputies pulled over a black pickup truck for running a stop sign. Inside, they found three small baggies with what they believe is cocaine, weighing 1.56 grams, along with more than $1,000 in cash.

The driver, 36-year-old Juan Eloy Ubalde Jr., was taken to the Zapata County Jail.

The case is still under investigation.

LAREDO, Tex. (KGNS) - U.S. Senator Ted Cruz discussed his conversations with Laredo officials visiting our national capitol and gave KGNS an exclusive one-on-one on the latest issues discussed directly impacting the Gateway City.

“We had hundreds of people from Laredo come in. We had the congressional delegation throughout South Texas. We had other members of Congress come and we had food from South Texas. Mexican food was flown in, we had mariachis and we had a jalapeno eating contest. It was a fantastic celebration of South Texas,” Cruz said.

Cruz was one of many who met with the Gateway City delegation for their annual trip. Some of the topics included the 4/5 bridge, the presidential permit signed some months ago. While construction has yet to begin, Cruz told Laredo officials that he looks forward to its economic impact.

“When those are complete, they are going to produce billions of dollars of new trade and commerce for South Texas. They are going to produce thousands of new jobs. I am an enormous champion of trade and commerce between Texas and Mexico; we talked a lot about that,” Cruz added.

With tariffs delayed until April 2, we asked Cruz about the impact they would have on border cities like Laredo.

In response, he backed President Donald Trump’s tariff threats, stating it was necessary. “We’ve seen border crossings in these last two months drop by 98%. I think that is tremendously beneficial to Laredo, South Texas, all of Texas and all over the country. My hope is that the traffic treatment will incentivize the government of Mexico to be an active partner in that, but I don’t want to see tariffs be an ongoing economic policy with Mexico. Because Mexico depends on that trade and commerce.”

With border security a major topic in the Trump Administration, the drop in Border Patrol apprehensions has led to the closure of temporary processing sites, including Laredo.

Cruz states funds will be allocated elsewhere to help keep illegal crossings down. “What’s next is Congress is going to pass legislation providing funding to secure the border. Providing funding to build a wall. Funding for border patrol agents and ICE agents, as well as funding for technology.”

While the Republican party controls the House and Senate, we asked Cruz if Democrats and Republicans can work together.

He responded, “We should work together on common sense and principles. I’ll say in the state of Texas, Republicans and Democrats can work together. We work together well because common sense values bring us together. Unfortunately, the Washington Democrats are really extreme.”

With several Congressional and Senate races on the 2026 ballot, time will tell how that could impact working with current Senate leaders like Cruz and future projects for border cities like Laredo.

Laredo and Webb County officials wrapped up their trip on Wednesday, March 12.

LAREDO, Tex. (KGNS) - Bodycam footage shows the final moments of a chase involving a suspect allegedly linked to a human smuggling attempt.

Everything occurred Wednesday afternoon, March 12, at the intersection of U.S. 59 and Loop 20. However, the Department of Public Safety (DPS) says these encounters have become rarer.

Compared to last year’s figures for Laredo, DPS says chases have dropped from 38 in February 2024 to just four in February 2025.

This latest chase happened when troopers saw the driver drop off suspected undocumented migrants at a gas station.

“The trooper was able to spot the vehicle and committed to a chase. The person did come to a stop after hitting a cement curb and disabling the vehicle, where a young man and a young female exited the vehicle. We know now, because of investigations, that this female was not involved in human smuggling but was only related to the person as a relative,” said Sergeant Erick Estrada with DPS.

As of now, the driver faces charges of human smuggling, evading arrest and reckless driving.

LAREDO, Tex. (KGNS) - An off-duty Laredo ISD Police officer was arrested following domestic violence allegations.

The arrest occurred Thursday afternoon, March 13, at the 1200 block of Minutemen Dr. when Laredo Police officers responded to a domestic abuse call at around 3 p.m.

During a preliminary investigation, 52-year-old Apolonio Zamora was identified as the suspect when a woman told police a relative assaulted her, leading to her wanting to press charges.

According to Investigator Joe Baeza with Laredo Police, a disagreement led to an argument, eventually becoming physical.

“He was charged with assault, family violence and impeding breath. The victim did wanna press charges. The victim in this particular case is an adult,” Baeza added.

The LISD Police Department was notified of the incident, and Zamora was booked and taken to the Webb County Jail.

LAREDO, Tex. (KGNS) - The Laredo Police Department announced on Thursday night, March 13, that a press conference will occur with various agencies present.

The department stated that limited information about the subject matter will be available; however, it will all be clarified during the conference.

The conference is scheduled for Friday, March 14, at 9:30 a.m.

LAREDO, Tex. (KGNS) - The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) continues to cut funding to several federal entities.

This has included terminating the lease contract for government offices. According to the DOGE website, one of those terminations happened here in Laredo.

The lease contract for an office located on Hillside Road housed the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services was terminated.

On March 13, a U.S. judge ordered Elon Musk and DOGE to turn over various records and answer questions describing their efforts to slash federal spending.

LAREDO, Tex. (KGNS) - People are turning to other ways to get eggs, with the U.S. Department of Agriculture expecting egg prices to rise 41% this year over last year’s average of $3.17 per dozen.

Individuals, such as Alvaro Guel, travel back and forth between the U.S. and Mexico, sometimes bringing back food but being cautious about what they bring.

People are often forced to take drastic measures in desperate times, especially when it comes to securing eggs as many have traveled to Nuevo Laredo to save a dollar or two.

“I think some people might try to risk getting fined when they cross the border. They hope they don’t get caught,” Guel said.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has reported a 30% nationwide increase in egg confiscations along the southern border.

According to Rick Pauza with CBP, “Here within the Laredo field office area, which is the eight ports of entry extending from Brownsville to Del Rio, we had an increase of 54%.”

With Easter quickly approaching, Laredo customs has gotten specific instructions for anyone looking to cross cascarones.

“The caveat is that you can bring one dozen cascarones for each passenger of a vehicle. The cascarones have to be clean, dry and free of any egg residue,” Pauza added.

He says that failure to declare eggs at the bridges can cost a hefty fine, mentioning, “You’re going to face a $300 fine for the first offense, a $500 fine for the second offense and $1,000 for the third offense and above.”

While the Trump Administration is working on a plan, last week, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) reported that egg shortages are easing and wholesale prices are dropping, which might provide relief on the retail side before this year’s Easter.

For a full list of prohibited items at the border, click here.