Rio Grande Guardian's Podcast

HARLINGEN, Texas - Doug Allison, a board member and regulatory counsel for US Desalination, has given an in-depth interview about plans for the largest water infrastructure project ever built in South Texas. 

“We’re partnering with communities, agencies, and industry to ensure a reliable water future for generations to come,” Allison told Ron Whitlock Reports, following a news conference at the Hilton Garden Inn in Harlingen. 

Allison said US Desalination has partnered with IDE Assets to form RGV Desal, LLC.

“RGV Desal, LLC. represents the larges...

HARLINGEN, Texas - Rio Grande Valley banker and philanthropist Bobby Farris has recalled an incident earlier this year where he and his wife Robin were referred to by the City of Rio Hondo as “good samaritans.” 

On Valentine’s Day, the couple rescued a six-year old girl and an elderly man from a house that was ablaze. Along with an off duty Sheriff deputy, they were first on the scene. Robin Farris called emergency services.

Bobby Farris, chairman of Texas Regional Bank’s wealth management division, told Ron Whitlock Reports t...

MONTE ALTO, Texas - Hidalgo County Commissioner David Fuentes says if federal money sent to the Rio Grande Valley to repair homes after a flooding event is not claimed, it should be made available for flood mitigation work.

“We're not going to minimize that people need assistance when they encounter or endure catastrophic flooding. That's not what we're saying. But what we found was, 70% of that mitigation money (that was supposed to be spent) on rebuilding wasn't used. It was returned back to HUD, it was given back to the federal government as unused grant monies,” Fuentes said...

MCALLEN, TEXAS - Hopefully, a revised USMCA will allow Mexico to avoid being impacted by the new tariffs President Trump is trying to impose - in which case the new tariffs on steel from Mexico would be eliminated.

This is the view of Jorge Torres, president of Rio Grande Valley-based Interlink Trade Services. Torres gave an update on the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement negotiations at a recent meeting of the McAllen Economic Development Corporation Stakeholders Committee.

“The USMCA revision is happening right now. Mexico’s Secretary of the Economy, Marcelo Ebrard, and US Trade Representative Jamieson Gree...

PORT ISABEL, Texas - Saronic Technologies, the Austin-based defense technology startup that is considering building a shipyard at the Port of Brownsville, places a big emphasis on developing a young workforce. 

So says Chris Johnson, director for the company’s shipyard in Franklin, Louisiana.

“Saronic is really, really good at is bringing on younger talent and training it,” Johnson said, during a presentation he and three of his colleagues made to Point Isabel ISD.

By way of an example, Johnson told the story of the shipyard in Franklin.

“Louisiana has long had a pro...

MCALLEN, Texas - Durante un seminario web el 4 de marzo, el presidente de Interlink Trade Services, Jorge Torres, explicó que la Corte Suprema de Estados Unidos declaró ilegales los aranceles impuestos bajo la Ley de Poderes Económicos de Emergencia Internacional (IEEPA), lo que abre la puerta a posibles reembolsos estimados en unos $133 millones, aunque aún no se ha establecido un mecanismo claro para su devolución. 

Torres advirtió que la eliminación de los aranceles de la IEEPA fue seguida por la implementación de la Sección 122, que introduce un recargo inicial del 10 % que podría aum...

EDINBURG, Texas - State Sen. Juan Hinojosa has urged Valley irrigation districts to work on plans to line their canals. 

And he welcomed new funding from NADBank, saying it augments the money the Legislature has committed through the Texas Water Development Board.

“We (the Legislature) set aside a billion dollars for grants, not for loans, just straight out grants. And the staff of the Water Development Board recommended that $100 million of their billion dollars be set aside for just the Rio Grande Valley irrigation districts. And the reason for that is that they want the can...

EDINBURG, TEXAS - U.S. Sen. John Cornyn made his last campaign swing through the Rio Grande Valley in the company of the National Border Patrol Council.

“The Border Patrol Council, they have become like brothers and sisters,” Cornyn said, as he acknowledged the council’s endorsement.

“It was heartbreaking to see how our professional law enforcement, who dedicate their lives to this nation, were abandoned by the administration during the previous four years, by the Biden administration.

“I continue to do everything that I can make sure that our...

BROWNSVILLE, Texas - The top Democrats running for U.S. Senate have made their final campaign swings through the Rio Grande Valley ahead of the Primary Election on March 3.

U.S. Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett had an event at Brownsville Public Library. 

Texas state Rep. James Talarico appeared on stage with other Democratic candidates at the Edinburg Municipal Auditorium. 

Here is an audio recording of part of Crockett’s speech.

Go to www.riograndeguardian.com to read the latest border news...

BROWNSVILLE, Texas - SpaceX will be hiring another 4,000 workers this year at its Starbase rocket launching facility at Boca Chica, says the executive director of South Texas Manufacturers Association.

Mike Willis gave an overview of the manufacturing scene in the Rio Grande Valley and northern Tamaulipas in his monthly report for February. After running through a number of plant closures over the past two years he ended on a very positive note.

“There's a lot going on. I think we're going to see a lot of announcements in the ne...

MCALLEN, Texas - There was a 30 percent decrease in loans for construction companies in the Rio Grande Valley in January, the executive director of the South Texas Builders Association reports.

Mario Guerrero visited Washington, D.C., recently to urge the White House and the Department of Homeland Security to stop ICE from conducting raids at construction sites. Those meetings in D.C. were set up by U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar.

“We need to protect our economy. Right now in South Texas, we're being dramatically affected. In January, there wa...

BROWNSVILLE, Texas - The Rio Grande Valley chapter of the Institute for Leadership in Capital Projects is hosting a mixer in Brownsville on the evening of February 18.

It is titled: “Downtown Brownsville - A Master Plan Revitalization Mixer. It is being held at Boqueron Food & Wine Bar on E. Washington Street, starting at 5:30 p.m.

To learn more about I-LinCOP and the mixer, the RGG Business Journal met up with Oscar Garcia, regional vice president for Broaddus & Associates, and vice president for I-LinCP-RGV, and Doroteo Garcia, Jr., assistant city manager for the City of Brownsville.

MCALLEN, Texas - RioPlex is planning to visit Asia and Europe later this year in order to drum up business for the region.

The trade missions will likely take in the United Kingdom, Taiwan and Japan. There will also be a number of visits to Mexico and different parts of the United States. A signature event, much like the group did in Houston last year, will be held in Mexico, most likely in Mexico City.

Confirmation that the group was making such arrangements came from Mario Reyna, in an...

Hidalgo County Judge Richard Cortez today begins a charm offensive as he seeks to bring the larger cities and economic development organizations in the Rio Grande Valley under the RioPlex umbrella. 

Cortez plans to meet with all the EDCs, both individually and collectively. The first meeting takes place today with an unnamed city. 

Asked what the feedback has been so far, Cortez said: “The response that we're getting from people we've contacted is very positive. The response that we've gotten from individual cities is they're still unsure.”

Smaller c...

EDINBURG, Texas - The Valley Alliance of Mentors for Opportunities and Scholarships (VAMOS) is celebrating 30 years of service to first-generation, low-income students across the Rio Grande Valley. 

In recognition of this year’s anniversary, VAMOS has a goal of raising $1 million in scholarship funds. 

The organization’s largest fundraiser each year is a golf tournament. The 30th Annual VAMOS Golf Tournament takes place on Saturday, March 7, 2026 at Champion Lakes Golf Course in McAllen, Texas. Proceeds from the tournament will directly support four-year renewable scholarships, with awards of up to $20,000 over four academic years for students from H...

BROWNSVILLE, Texas - Cameron County held its State of the County Luncheon in Harlingen last month and Precinct 2 Commissioner Joey Lopez spoke about La Esperanza Community Park’s all-inclusive renovations.

The park reopened in July 2025, with the addition of an inclusive splash pad for children. According to Lopez, the park has been utilized by several children and families that are wheelchair-bound.

“The area is well shaded,” Lopez said. “The renovations that have happened within this past year (are worth) about $2.3 million. We added a huge splash pad that was put in, we updated the walking trail an...

MISSION, Texas - AltaCair Foundation’s top event of 2025 was its Accelerator Conference. This was the third year in a row AltaCair has held an Accelerator Conference. It was billed as the largest health summit in South Texas. During the conference, the group’s president, Dr. Rashmi Chandran, gave a series of interviews. Here is one of them.

Go to the Rio Grande Guardian website for the full story. 

Go to www.riograndeguardian.com to read the latest border news stories and watch the latest news videos.

MCALLEN, Texas - RioPlex plans to hold meetings every month across the region to explain to communities what the group is doing to bring in more investment and better paying jobs. 

Mario Reyna, RioPlex’s executive director, spoke about the group’s vision, mission statement, core values, and strategic direction at a leadership gathering, held recently at McAllen Country Club.

“We're going to have engagements every month throughout the region to tell people what it is that we're trying to do,” Reyna said. “People have to understand, the community has to understand, what it is that we're...

Josie Arellano is crime victims liaison for Pharr Police Development. Arellano sat down for an in-depth interview with Rio Grande Guardian anchor Mari Regalado to discuss her work. She said it is important for the victims of crime to come forward and report a crime, no matter what their legal status. She said Pharr Police Department can help. Here is the interview.

Go to www.riograndeguardian.com to read the latest border news stories and watch the latest news videos.

Josie Arellano es enlace para víctimas de delitos en el Departamento de Desarrollo Policial de Pharr. Arellano conversó a fondo con la presentadora del Rio Grande Guardian, Mari Regalado, para hablar sobre su trabajo. Regalado comentó que es importante que las víctimas de delitos se presenten y denuncien, sin importar su estatus legal. Añadió que el Departamento de Policía de Pharr puede ayudar. 

Go to www.riograndeguardian.com to read the latest border news stories and watch the latest news videos.

PHARR, Texas - Mario Guerrero, CEO of the South Texas Builders Association, says the region’s banks are also being impacted ICE’s raids on construction sites in the Rio Grande Valley.

Guerrero called a meeting recently with U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar to discuss the economic impact the raids are having on the building industry. More than 20 construction company owners attended. 

The building industry representatives said jobs are being delayed because workers, undocumented or otherwise, are not showing up at the construction sites. He said ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) officers are rounding up all t...

BROWNSVILLE, Texas - Former state Sen. Eddie Lucioo, Jr., has not been able to give away as many turkeys to the less fortunate this year, in part because federal funding to the food banks has been cut.

Normally, Lucio would purchase the turkeys at a competitive price from local food banks and distribute them to those in need in Cameron, Willacy, and Hidalgo counties. This year, however, the 25th year he has been doing it, he has had to pay for them from the large distributors at the normal price.

And so, he has had...

MCALLEN, Texas - Ralph Garcia, interim chief operating officer for McAllen Economic Development Corporation, has given a brief update on the various projects the group is working on. 

“Right now, the EDC is working with about 25 active projects. This represents a total of about three million square feet of space. Estimated jobs are about 8,000 and the economic impact of that is roughly about $5 billion dollars,” Garcia said a quarterly stakeholders meeting.

“Primarily, our companies are coming from France, Sweden, Mexico, the US and Japan. Those are the activities that we're seeing right now.”

Garcia sa...

MCALLEN, Texas - McAllen International Airport continues to capture the biggest share of the passenger market in the Rio Grande Valley, the city’s director of aviation reports.

Jeremy Santoscoy gave an update on airport activity at a recent McAllen Economic Development Corporation stakeholders meeting. 

“Through Quarter 3, we’re at about 863,000 total passengers, which is a slight decrease year-over-year, (a drop of) about two and a half percent,” Santoscoy said.

“We continue to see the majority market share, the value is about 48 percent, with Harlingen following at 40 percent and Brownsville at 12 percent.”

Harlingen i...

MCALLEN, Texas - Ruben Alfaro, development engineer for Hidalgo County Regional Mobility Authority, gave an update on the group’s strategic plan when he spoke at a McAllen Economic Development Corporation stakeholders meeting.

That strategic plan includes the long-awaited Hidalgo County Loop. Alfaro said HCRMA is making good progress.

“The key point I wanted to get across is the progress that we are making in terms of construction and where we are going as an RMA,” Alfaro told the RGG Business Journal, at the end of the meeting. 

“We need everyone in the county ti...

PHARR, TEXAS – RioPlex fu eel anfitrion de una ceremonia de colocacion para La Bonanza Avocados, una compañia familiar de aguacates proveniente de Uruapan, Michoacán el 14 de Nov. Invitados de la ceremonia incluyeron mas de 20 lideres de Negocios de Michoacán, que se encontraban en una mission commercial que incluyo una visita a SpaceX en Starbase. La ceremonia de colocacion se llevo a cabo en la Esquina de Las Milpas y Veterans Road en Pharr. La ceremonia incluyo discursos del alcalde the Pharr el Dr. Ambrosio Hernandez, el director de RioPlex, Joaquin Spammer, y el president de La Bonan...

PHARR, TEXAS – RioPlex fu eel anfitrion de una ceremonia de colocacion para La Bonanza Avocados, una compañia familiar de aguacates proveniente de Uruapan, Michoacán el 14 de Nov. Invitados de la ceremonia incluyeron mas de 20 lideres de Negocios de Michoacán, que se encontraban en una mission commercial que incluyo una visita a SpaceX en Starbase. La ceremonia de colocacion se llevo a cabo en la Esquina de Las Milpas y Veterans Road en Pharr. La ceremonia incluyo discursos del alcalde the Pharr el Dr. Ambrosio Hernandez, el director de RioPlex, Joaquin Spammer, y el president de La Bonan...

EDINBURG, Texas - Ruben Cortez is vice president of the Texas Association of Education Service Centers.

In a recent interview with the Rio Grande Guardian, Cortez spoke about a larger than average drop off in school attendance by students living in heavily Hispanic areas.

Cortez was reticent about blaming the reduction on raids by ICE. However, leaders within La Joya ISD, Sharyland ISD, Brownsville ISD and McAllen ISD have all spoken about this being a factor.

Here is the interview.

Go to www.riograndeguardian.com to read the latest border news...

MCALLEN, Texas - The North American Development Bank is to allocate up to $100 million from its retained earnings over the next five years for urgent water conservation projects along the U.S.-Mexico border.

NADBank Managing Director John Beckham made the announcement at the two-day Rio Grande/Rio Bravo Binational River Symposium hosted by the Texas Water Foundation at the Embassy Suites by Hilton in McAllen.

Beckham said the grant money will be come out of the $400 million Water Resiliency Fund that the NADBank board of directors approved in August. The WRF has been set...

PRIMERA, Texas - The City of Primera recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Richmond Hills Drainage Project.

Cameron County Drainage District No. 5 played a key role in the project.

CCDD5 provided a timeline of the events:

Developer Julio Carranza required CCDD5 to use five acres on his property for drainage purposes. CCDD5 then partnered with La Feria Irrigation District to carry out the excavation work. The City of Primera then secured an ARPA grant from Cameron County to fund drainage improvements within the Richmond Hills subdivision.

Finally, the City of...

HARLINGEN, Texas - The Free Trade Bridge at Los Indios is the crown jewel of Cameron County’s international bridge system, according to the county’s economic development director, Ramiro Aleman.

The bridge is also known as “Los Indios-Lucio Blanco Bridge”, “Puente Lucio Blanco-Los Indios”, “Puente Internacional Libre Comercio” and “Los Indios Free Trade Bridge”. It is owned and operated by Cameron County. However, the cities of Harlingen and San Benito each receive 25% of the net revenues. The bridge facilities are located on a 127-acre tract of land.

Aleman spoke about Los Indi...

HARLINGEN, Texas - Rick Carrera, COSTEP's economic development director, gave an update on a project his group is working on to map all the automotive companies in the Rio South Texas region.

COSTEP stands for Council for South Texas Economic Progress. The Rio South Texas region comprises northern Tamaulipas, the Rio Grande Valley, and Laredo.

Carrera spoke briefly about the Binational Autocluster project at a meeting of the South Texas Manufacturers Association (STMA). The meeting was held at Harlingen Convention Center. 

STMA Executive Director Mike Willis invited Carrera to give an update. Carrera s...

LAREDO, Texas - Webb and Starr are leading South Texas in clean energy growth with new solar panels, wind power, and battery storage, U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar reports.

The Laredo Democrat released a new update showing that Texas’ 28th Congressional District - his district - is a powerhouse in clean energy production – pairing renewable power with traditional oil and gas to lower energy costs for families and strengthen the local economy. 

He said that as a base for economic growth, the district ranks among the top in Texas for n...

BROWNSVILLE, Texas - Cameron County Commissioners Court is moving ahead with plans to purchase an ownership interest in the Brownsville & Matamoras Bridge Company from Union Pacific Railroad.

Brownsville & Matamoras Bridge Company co-owns Brownsville & Matamoros Bridge with the government of Mexico. 

Cameron County Judge Eddie Treviño, Jr., said a complex negotiation process to acquire ownership began two years ago. He said the transaction is expected to close in late 2025 or early 2026.

“Securing the Brownsville & Matamoros Bridge Company is a transformative moment for Cameron County. We a...

PHARR, Texas - The wild fluctuations in bridge crossing numbers have made it hard to analyze longterm trends, says Pharr International Bridge Director Luis Bazan.

In his most recent report to the Pharr Bridge Board, Bazan said he will likely not have a clear picture of how things are going until the second quarter next year. The fluctuations have been caused in part by changes in U.S. tariff policy.

“You can see a lot of the ebbs and flows and a lot of the peaks and valleys that we...

BROWNSVILLE, Texas - CIL Capital held a groundbreaking ceremony for a new manufacturing plant on Texas 48 in Brownsville, close to the Port of Brownsville. The 181,000 square foot facility will be known as Anchor Industrial.

The developers believe the $20 million project will generate 120-plus jobs. 

Carlos Garcia, a customs broker and president of Border Trade Alliance-Mexico, invited CIL to participate in the project. The facility will be built by Martín Anzaldúa of Grupo Río San Juan.

This audio recording includes the remarks of all the speakers at the groundbreaking ceremony. They were...

HARLINGEN, Texas - Cameron County Drainage District No. 5 is partnering with the City of Harlingen to improve drainage.

The first drainage project is the widening of the North Main Drain that the drainage district owns. 

The City and CCDD5 held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to kickoff the project.

At the event, CCDD5 President Steve Jennings gave the Rio Grande Guardian an exclusive interview. He said that his home has flooded four times in the four decades he has lived there. He said that is sort of inevitable when the land is flat and rises o...

BROWNSVILLE, Texas - Jesse Acevedo just completed a pipefitting course at Texas Southmost College.

In an interview with Ron Whitlock of Ron Whitlock Reports he said he would recommend the program to anyone because pipefitters are in big demand and the wages are good. 

Acevedo is about to start work for Bechtel at the Port of Brownsville. The company is building a liquefied natural gas export terminal for NextDecade.

Go to www.riograndeguardian.com to read the latest border news stories and watch the latest news videos.

PALMVIEW, Texas - U.S. Rep. Monica De La Cruz spoke about congressional redistricting and Mexico’s water debt to the U.S. at a top GOP dinner in Palmview.

The event - titled the Lincoln-Reagan Dinner - was hosted by Hidalgo County Republican Party and held at the Stallion Event Center. De La Cruz introduced the keynote speaker, U.S. Senate candidate Ken Paxton.

De La Cruz recalled a time she met President Trump and the two were looking at a map of Texas and the Gulf of America. 

“He turns to me an...

PALMVIEW, Texas - U.S. Senate candidate Ken Paxton says he wants to take to the Washington the same sort of creativity and courage he has shown as Texas attorney general. 

Paxton was keynote speaker at the Hidalgo County Republican Party’s Lincoln-Reagan Dinner. The event was held Aug. 21 at the Stallion Event Center in Palmview.

“I want to bring something different to Washington. The kind of creativity that I'm trying to bring to my job here, I want to take that to Washington. The kind of courage we’ve had...