LAREDO, Tex. (KGNS) - Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has awarded the first contract for border wall construction during Donald Trump’s second term.

Granite Construction Company will receive over $70 million to build approximately seven miles of new border wall in Hidalgo County, located in the Rio Grande Valley.

The project is funded through CBP’s 2021 fiscal year budget.

LAREDO, Tex. (KGNS) - Firefighters worked for hours to put out a grass fire behind Laredo College’s Fort McIntosh campus late Monday night, March 17. The fire spread fast, forcing evacuations for nearby residents. Crews contained the flames by 1 a.m.

Early Tuesday morning, March 18, Laredo police arrested 29-year-old Jose Herminio Martinez. Officers got a call around 3:30 a.m. about a man trying to start a fire near a motel on Santa Ursula. Police found Martinez with a lighter and tin foil and later linked him to the fire near Ventura Street.

“Through the course of investigating the fire that he started at the hotel, he also inadvertently admitted to the fact that he started the fire near Ventura,” said Joe Baeza with the Laredo Police Department.

The fire burned about 30 to 40 acres, but no homes were damaged, and no injuries were reported. Dry and windy weather made it harder to control.

Martinez is charged with two counts of arson and is in the Webb County Jail.

Below is the original story:

A man suspected of starting multiple fires, including one near Laredo College, has been arrested and charged with arson.

Laredo police responded to a local motel in the 2600 block of Santa Ursula at around 3:37 a.m. on Tuesday, March 18, after reports that a vagrant had set a fire, causing property damage. Officers arrested 29-year-old Jose Herminio Martinez and charged him with arson, a second-degree felony.

Investigators later connected Martinez to an earlier arson case in the downtown area. He also admitted to starting a brush fire near Laredo College. When arrested, Martinez was found carrying a lighter and tin foil.

The brush fire near LC, which broke out around 8 p.m. on Monday, March 17, led to an immediate evacuation of the Fort McIntosh campus. Firefighters battled the blaze for hours, with multiple agencies assisting in evacuations and emergency response.

The Laredo Fire Department confirmed the fire was contained by 1 a.m., but crews remained on-site through the night to monitor the area.

LAREDO, Tex. (KGNS) - A border patrol K-9 unit helped in making a large drug bust.

According to the agency’s social media page, it happened at a Border Patrol checkpoint when the dog alerted agents to the potential presence of drugs in a tractor-trailer.

Upon further investigation, they found 56 pounds of marijuana hidden in the cabin.

According to the agency, the drugs are said to be worth more than $16,000.

LAREDO, Tex. (KGNS) - 16 new officers were sworn in to join the Laredo Police Department, with friends and family on hand for the Pinning Ceremony Monday morning, March 17.

The new additions to the force consist of 14 men and two women who spent eight months in training and taking classes in different fields necessary for qualification.

We spoke with Officer Jennifer Martinez about her journey to becoming a police officer and asked if she had a message for young women aspiring to pursue a career in law enforcement.

In response, she said, “A little bit of everything was a little difficult, but if you have your mind set on what you want, you will reach the goal.” Martinez continued, “To go ahead and pursue that dream, you’ll do it. As long as you have your family’s support, your dreams can come true. It’s all about protecting our community.”

Martinez says her family was her main motivation for becoming a police officer, which she credits to her need to help and protect the community.

LAREDO, Tex. (KGNS) - Laredo city leaders will talk about their trip to Washington, D.C., during Monday night’s City Council meeting.

Mayor Dr. Victor Treviño added the item to the agenda. Other topics include picking someone to update the council on public questions and projects.

The Health Department will also ask to keep its contract with the state for diabetes and obesity programs.

The meeting starts on Monday, March 17, at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall Chambers, and the public is welcome to attend.

To watch the meeting live, click here.

LAREDO, Tex. (KGNS) - Officials said that a Laredo man is in jail after being arrested on several charges.

Adiel Contreras was taken into custody on Monday, March 10, by the Webb County Constable’s Office for Precinct 1. Authorities said he had six active warrants, including two for possession of marijuana, two for evading arrest in a vehicle, and two for reckless driving.

No other details have been released. Contreras remains in jail as the case moves forward

LAREDO, Tex. (KGNS) - Three people are in the hospital after a weekend shooting that left one woman dead. Police say this is now Laredo’s third homicide of the year.

Officers were called to the 3900 block of Bannock Drive in the Cheyenne Subdivision on Saturday, March 15, where a man was shooting into the neighborhood. Police say the suspect, Fernando Machado, had a high-powered rifle and a handgun.

Inside a mobile home, officers found three victims—Frida Castillo, believed to be Machado’s ex-girlfriend, her brother Jorge Castillo, and their mother, Diana Lopez. Frida Castillo did not survive.

Police Chief Miguel Rodriguez Jr. said Machado had past assault charges, including one for strangulation, which led to a protective order against him. It is unclear if that order was violated before the attack.

Machado is charged with murder and two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Investigators have not yet found a motive.