LAREDO, TX. (KGNS) - The Laredo Police Department released the total number of arrests and citations given during the Fourth of July holiday.

During the two week campaign, police conducted 500 stops and over 800 citations were issued. Police say 10 arrests were made with four of those were due to drunk driving.

LPD was awarded with the grant with the help from TxDOT who funded the grant.

The campaign ran from June 23 through July 9.

LAREDO, TX (KGNS) - A three day festival that highlights the bi-cultural heritage along the border is underway at the Sames Auto Arena.

Friday was the first day of the Sister Cities festival where the public can enjoy the very best Latin America and Mexican states.

Artisans will be selling jewelry, clothing, and hand-made crafts.

Also, food vendors from several regions will be whipping up some grub for those who attend the event.

This year’s guest of honor will be the City of Valle de Bravo, a town west of Mexico City.

Some of the attendees at this year’s festival say they have been waiting all year for the Sister Cities Festival.

“I have enjoyed it . There are so many different booths, so many different things to see. You really get to appreciate the culture of Mexico,” said Javier. “You get to appreciate how a lot of the things are handmade. Its very reasonable as well. There’s everything you can image here, the shirt I have on today I bought last here.”

The event will continue on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and then on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

LAREDO, Tx. (KGNS) - Heavy police presence was seen at a Laredo mall early Friday, but it was all in the effort of promoting safety and life-saving skills.

On Friday morning, the Laredo Police Department conducted an active shooter training at Mall Del Norte.

With a heavy police presence in and around the food court, employees had the opportunity to participate in a simulated scenario, arming themselves with crucial knowledge on what to do in the face of danger.

The scenario began with employees pretending to be dining at the food court when a simulated shooter entered the area, instructing everyone to get on the floor.

The adrenaline was pumping as the drill unfolded, giving participants a taste of real-life urgency.

“It actually helped a lot. It shows me what my civilians around me would do next if something was for real. It also shows me who I can rely on and who I cannot,” said participant Jonathan Umana. “With that being said, it also shows us what really can happen, like how far an exit may actually be. You might actually seem like you can go to a certain door, but what if you don’t make it in time? You might have to pick a different route. It really did help overall to show me to safety, for my family, to be able to go back home.”

The primary objective of the simulated exercise was to improve the effectiveness of emergency response protocols and overall preparedness.

By practicing and familiarizing themselves with proper procedures, law enforcement and civilians can be better equipped to handle critical situations.

SAN DIEGO (Border Report) — At the tender age of 16, Patricia McGurk-Daniel says she left her home in El Paso, Texas because her mother couldn’t accept her for being gay.

McGurk-Daniel says friends found her jobs bartending at gay bars around town until one day she decided to finish school and begin her formal education.

Later, as a Border Patrol recruiter came calling, she says she had a second epiphany when she realized it was going to be difficult earning a living as a music major.

She applied and got accepted to the Border Patrol Academy.

“I was the only woman in the class, but I was determined not to make my gender an issue,” said McGurk-Daniel.

In 1999, she graduated from the 406th session of the U.S. Border Patrol Academy and was assigned to the Nogales Border Patrol Station in the Tucson Sector. 

“I felt an instant calling.”

Along the way she has worked at nine Border Patrol sectors along the northern and southern borders including the Tucson, El Paso, San Diego, El Centro, and Spokane sectors.

She also completed assignments at the U.S. Border Patrol Academy, U.S. Border Patrol Headquarters, CBP’s Office of Intelligence and CBP’s Office of the Commissioner.

Patricia McGurk-Daniel is now the head of Border Patrol’s San Diego Sector. (Salvador Rivera/Border Report)

Most recently, McGurk-Daniel served as the chief patrol agent of Yuma Sector.

A few weeks ago she earned the job in San Diego becoming the first woman to hold the position of chief patrol officer in the San Diego Sector.

“I was very, very happy because I know of the challenges we have here. I’ve always enjoyed being challenged and I know that San Diego is one of the most complex and dynamic tests in the entire country so I was I’m very, very thankful,” said McGurk-Daniel.

She takes over for Aaron Heitke who retired last month.

“One of the things that is very unique here is the littoral environment, although we have 61 miles of land border, per square mile we have the most activity than anywhere else in the nation.”

McGurk-Daniel will be in charge of about 2,000 agents who, according to her, will be dedicated to the community they serve, and not just along the border.

“We’re often the first responders, whether it’s people evacuate from a fire, whether it’s any kind of emergency, we respond to domestic violence, we respond to traffic accidents and other things. That’s part of the legacy that I’m very proud to be a part of.”

The San Diego Sector is made up of eight stations including San Diego, Imperial Beach, El Cajon, Chula Vista, Campo, Boulevard, San Clemente and Murrieta.

McGurk-Daniel is married and lives with her wife in San Diego and has been with the Border Patrol for 24 years.

She said she loves to cook and ride horses.

WEBB COUNTY, TX (KGNS) - Now, this heat wave has pushed the death toll in Webb County to double digits which is concerning to the Webb County Medical Examiner who believes that there’s no precedent for the number.

The cases range from those who were found dead outside, to those who decided not to turn on their AC units due to costs as well as those whose AC units are not working.

The victims ranged from their early 60′s to late 80′s.

Some of those victims had underlying conditions.

Although the heat is nothing new, Dr. Stern said these extreme condition can take anybody by surprise. “Everybody thought, ‘oh, we’re used to these temperatures in the 100′s’, but when you put the heat index that raise these temperatures to 117, 118 degrees, and I think people were just caught off guard,” said Dr. Stern.

During the same two-week period, Doctor Stern says ten migrants have died across the counties she serves.

Dr. Stern urges residents to take advantage of help such as relief offered for utilities and by taking advantage of city and county cooling centers.