WEBB COUNTY, Tx. (KGNS) - The State of Texas has six programs to provide assessment on border-related issues.

One of them is Operation Stone Garden which allows federal, state, and local law enforcement to work with federal agencies to secure the Texas-Mexico border.

On Friday, Webb County received 4.3 million dollars for the program; however, this isn’t the first time that our local law enforcement has received such help.

2008 was the first year Webb County received federal funds to tackle border security through Operation Stone Garden.

To date, over 50 million dollars have been distributed to our local law enforcement.

In Webb County it is used to pay for overtime for local law enforcement and radio dispatchers, and equipment.

Sheriff Martin Cuellar believes these resources help local law enforcement protect border communities, such as Laredo and Zapata.

“This money is going to keep us safe, and you know this is going through different agencies,” said Sheriff Cuellar. “As you remember recently, we had that bomb threat that affected our communities, our schools, you know everybody has kids, everybody has nephews, cousins, everybody has a sort of family member in a school and what happened? We all worked together, and we secured the schools as quick as we can.”

According to Congressman Henry Cuellar, this will benefit more than 300,000 residents.

In order to obtain funding, state administrative agencies review and submit the applications to federal emergency management agency and consult with U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

LAREDO, Tex. (KGNS) - Two men are convicted for their role in smuggling drugs at a Laredo port of entry.

It happened when Noe Martinez Montelongo and Fidel Rodriguez attempted to cross the Colombia Bridge back in November 2022.

A K-9 referred them to a secondary inspection when over 900 pounds of liquid meth was found -- totaling nearly a million dollars.

The defendants both claimed they had no knowledge of the drugs at trial and instead insisted they were going to pick up a legitimate load in Laredo.

A jury deliberated for 10 minutes before returning guilty verdicts for both defendants.

The two men face up to life in prison.

They will be sentenced at a later date.

LAREDO, Tex. (KGNS) - President Joe Biden has put forward the nomination of John Kazen, a local magistrate judge, to serve as a District Judge of the U.S. Southern District of Texas Court. Kazen, who has been serving as a magistrate judge since 2018 within the Southern District of Texas Court, received the nomination from the President on Wednesday, August 30.

Prior to his magistrate judgeship, Kazen was a partner at the local law firm Kazen, Meurer, & Pérez, L.L.P., from 1997 to 2018. His commitment to law stretches back further, including civil litigation at Kemp, Smith, Duncan, & Hammond, P.C. from 1991 to 1997.

Kazen’s connection to the region runs deep, as he started his legal career as a law clerk for Judge Robert Parker on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas from 1990 to 1991. He obtained his J.D. from the University of Houston Law Center in 1990 and his B.A. from the University of Texas at Austin in 1987.

He is the son of the late George P. Kazen, a former senior federal judge, who passed away in April of 2021.

Kazen is one of four nominees announced by the White House. President Biden’s selection of Kazen marks his thirty-seventh round of nominees for federal judicial positions. With this latest round of nominations, the total number of announced federal nominees stands at 184.

LAREDO, Tx. (KGNS) - Authorities need your help identifying a woman believed to be tied to a theft at a Laredo retail store.

The incident happened on Aug. 11 at the 7500 block of San Dario Avenue.

Laredo Police released a picture of a woman who was seen exiting the store with what looks like an Axle electric bike.

If you have any information regarding the identity or location of the woman, you are asked to call Laredo Crime Stoppers at (956) 727-TIPS.

You can also submit a tip via the Crime Stoppers P3 App under “Subject ID”.

Police ask that you reference #23-0788 when submitting your tips.

You may be eligible for a cash reward.

LAREDO, Tex. (KGNS) - This past Saturday marked the two-year anniversary of a fallen hero and one local high school is set to unveil a new tribute to keep his legacy alive.

Before the new unveiling, Lyndon B. Johnson High School administrators honored Lance Corporal David Lee Espinoza last Friday.

School officials encouraged students to bring flowers and hand-written notes to a table set up by the library, and on Saturday, carried those items to the cemetery to place on his grave.

However, officials say Espinoza’s sacrifice will be enshrined in a more permanent way.

LBJ Student Activity Coordinator Rosie Santos says, “We honor him because he is our hero. These young men and women go and fight for us so we can have our freedom and live every day comfortably without any worries. We will be having an unveiling of his bust. In a few weeks, we are getting that together. We’re just waiting for the plaque to arrive.”

The new bust will be placed inside the school’s library which is already dedicated in Espinoza’s honor.