LAREDO, Tex. (KGNS) - Tax-free weekend is only a few weeks away.

You can start making your shopping plans the second weekend of August when the tax-free weekend takes place from the 11th to the 13th.

Here at home, LISD is the first school district to get their kids in the classroom when they start on the 9th.

UISD students head back the following week on the 15th.

However, for some downtown merchants there used to be better days.

Eugenio Canche, with Las Novedadas store, in downtown Laredo told us,” People buy a lot online, but the main factor, in my opinion, is that there are a lot of people that are buying direct in Mexico. Whether it’s Nuevo Laredo, Guadalajara, or Monterrey, they are bringing in their own goods direct from China at a lower price. That’s one of the main factors.”

Despite that, Canche says they are offering a lot of bargains.

You can find a full list of exemptions here.

LAREDO, Tex. (KGNS) - For the last week, the Texas State Guard, public health agencies, and many volunteers have been working together to provide free health services.

Operation Border Health Preparedness has served over 1,200 patients in Laredo since Monday.

Over 300 military members, 200 state and county employees, and countless other volunteers have made this event possible.

It’s not too late to take advantage -- however, hours will be limited tomorrow for those providing dental and vision services.

Lizette Limon, with the operation, says, “Tomorrow they will only be seeing individuals until 12 o’clock, so the numbers will be less than what we have been seeing these past four days. Due to the fact that these providers are from out of state, they do travel to Laredo to help us out during these events. And they do have to travel back home.”

Tomorrow, Friday, July 28th, will be the last day to get these services.

Doors will open at 8 a.m. and will stay open until 3:30 p.m.

However, hours will be limited for those seeking dental and vision services -- those will only be available until noon.

Organizers say no proof of insurance or citizenship is needed.

McALLEN, Texas (Border Report) — Violent confrontations between drug cartels and the Mexican military have been reported south of the border from Laredo, Texas.

The violence comes as U.S. officials say a key drug trafficker for the Cartel del Noreste pleaded guilty to bringing 17 tons of marijuana across the border to Laredo.

Several road blockades and vehicles set on fire Wednesday morning were reported on social media and by Mexican media.

There also have been reports of some injuries. Passersby and drivers in the area are urged to avoid this border area, which has limited access to a major highway route from Nuevo Laredo to the Mexican border town of Piedras Negras, which is across the Rio Grande from Eagle Pass, Texas.

Mexican Senator Ismael Cabeza de Vaca tweeted blockades and vehicular fires happened in Nuevo Laredo in the state of Tamaulipas. “This is how normalized insecurity is in Tamaulipas,” he wrote. “Take extreme precautions!”

However Nuevo Laredo Mayor Carmen Lilia Canturosas tweeted back that her border city was not the site of the violence and said it occurred in the neighboring western state of Nuevo León.

That coincides with reports of traffic backed up Wednesday at the Colombia Solidarity International Bridge, which leads from Laredo to Nuevo León, Mexico.

Traffic cameras of the bridge operated by the City of Laredo on Thursday showed traffic flowing across the bridge with a line of commercial trucks waiting to cross north into the U.S. and some trucks and vehicles moving south into Mexico.

Drug trafficking pleas entered

The violence occurred as a person associated with the leaders of the Cartel del Noreste drug cartel was convicted Wednesday for trafficking large quantities of marijuana into Laredo, Texas, U.S. Attorney Alamdar Hamdani announced.

Joe David “JD” Moreno, 34, of Laredo, plead guilty Wednesday to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 1,000 kilograms or more of marijuana for the Cartel del Noreste organization from February 2019 to April 2020, Hamdani said.

Moreno reportedly admitted purchasing a utility truck that he used numerous times to transport loads of marijuana throughout Laredo. His drug smuggling involved paid co-conspirators and was linked directly to cartel leaders in Mexico, Hamdani said.

Hamdani said 21 others have pleaded guilty for their roles in the drug trafficking with this trans national criminal organization, which reportedly widely operates throughout Tamaulipas and Nuevo León, Mexico.

Officials say $16 million worth of drugs including 17 tons of marijuana have been trafficked over the border into Laredo, Texas, from the cartel.

Moreno was arrested in Monterrey, Mexico, in March 2022. He faces up to life in federal prison and a $10 million fine.

LAREDO, Tex. (KGNS) - This week’s most wanted is 19-year-old Daniel Amador.

Amador is being charged with burglary of a building.

The case began yesterday at 3 a.m. when police responded to the 3200 block of San Bernardo Avenue.

When they got there, police found a broken window and were able to put things together with some surveillance video.

Officer Jose Espinoza says, “They were able to see a male individual going into the business and attempting to ransack the cash register. Fortunately, the business owner did not have any money inside the register, so no money was taken from the business.”

Investigators were able to name Amador as a suspect in the case.

If anyone has any information on his whereabouts, you can contact Laredo Crime Stoppers at 727-TIPS or on the crime stoppers app.

SAN DIEGO (Border Report) — The U.S. Border Patrol says surveillance cameras spotted smugglers cutting a hole in the border barrier near Calexico, California, and with help from police south of the border, stopped a large smuggling attempt.

A group of 17 migrants were found inside and in the back of a truck painted to look just like a Border Patrol vehicle.

According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, this happened early Saturday morning in an area five miles from the Calexico Port of Entry.

The 17 migrants were detained, and the truck was seized by Mexican authorities, according to Border Patrol.

Damage made to the border barrier has reportedly been repaired.

LAREDO, Tex. (KGNS) - The Laredo Police Department has issued a report stating that heavy traffic flow along World Trade Bridge has led to severe congestion on Loop 20, impacting the daily commute of drivers in the area. Both flyovers from I-35 into Mines Road have been closed.

As a result of the ongoing congestion, traffic on Loop 20 has come to a standstill, with the backups extending all the way to Doctors Hospital, creating significant disruption for commuters and causing delays in reaching their destinations.

Drivers are advised to seek alternative routes and exercise patience.