Author: KVIA

Heriberto Perez Lara

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — President Trump visited Michigan last week, where he said the USMCA trade agreement is irrelevant to the country’s economy. The president claimed the U.S. does not need either Mexico or Canada for trade and industry. Local economy experts and leaders say this is not true.

“There’s no advantage to it, it’s irrelevant to me,” President Trump said at a Ford manufacturing plant last week. “Canada would love it, Canada wants it and they need it because we don’t need Canada’s product and that’s the thing, I want to be a nice person, but we don’t need it.”

“I want to build the cars here, not in Canada. We used to build cars in Canada and now the Canadians are moving here to build cars; same thing with Mexico, same thing with Japan,” President Trump added.

The agreement includes a clause that requires a review every six years to decide whether to extend it for another 16 years or end it in ten years. The review is set to begin on July 1, 2026, and all three countries will decide.

“Up through 2024, there was a lot of policy continuity. Beginning in January 2025, there has been federal policy that moves all over the place, and it’s caused a lot of uncertainty throughout the United States,” said UTEP Professor of Economics and Finance Dr. Tom Fullerton. “But since much of the policy uncertainty and pronouncements or mispronouncements occur about USMCA, even more of that uncertainty has occurred here within the border region because we depend so much on international manufacturing and international commerce.”

Professor Fullerton also told ABC-7 that there’s also a lot of international commerce that occurs in both El Paso and Ciudad Juárez, which simply relies on good relations between the two countries and a close-to-seamless linkage that allows customers to move back and forth across bridges.

“It would be helpful if the White House would acknowledge that even though the United States economy is much larger than the Canadian economy and the Mexican economy, the increase in international trade and international investment flows between all three countries has benefited the United States as well as Canada and Mexico,” Professor Fullerton added.

ABC-7 also spoke with the CEO of the Borderplex Alliance, Jon Barela, who said the USMCA agreement has been an unparalleled success not only for Canada, Mexico and the U.S., but also for the El Paso-Ciudad Juárez region in particular. According to him, this area is the fifth-largest manufacturing hub in North America, with over 350,000 residents working in manufacturing enterprises in the region, a 16% increase over the past two years, and truck cross-border trade at the local ports of entry.

“One of the great successes that President Trump had during his first term was wide bipartisan support in both houses of Congress that ratified the USMCA, the deal that his administration cut. So it’s been a very successful agreement. And once every six years, we review the agreement. We’re due to do that here soon. And in the months ahead, we’ll see where we go,” CEO Barela said.

CEO Barela adds that the USMCA has proven its importance not only by creating jobs, but also through the foreign direct investment that has been generated by the three economies.

“We’ve also seen many investors from Canada and Europe investing heavily in our region; so we believe that trend will continue if the USMCA is re-certified, re-ratified,” CEO Barela added.

“The tariffs have also caused a lot of investment plans to be sidelined because there was so much uncertainty about what was ultimately going to happen, and incredibly, all the tariff threats were against Mexico for products that were covered under USMCA,” Professor Fullerton also said. “It took several weeks, but eventually it was all clarified, but it was kind of unnecessary to go through that whole experience.”

“Ultimately, just the tariffs in general are hurting businesses throughout the United States and a lot of times, when tariffs are applied, they’re used to final goods, consumer goods, but the tariffs that have been enacted over the last 12 months by the United States fall upon not only consumer goods or final goods, but also intermediate inputs, raw materials and equipment,” Professor Fullerton said.

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Olivia Vara

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — During Sheriff Oscar Ugarte’s town hall meeting this past Saturday, the family of Tara Williams questioned Sheriff Ugarte as to why Williams was able to take her own life while in their custody.

Rosalie Vicenti, Tara Williams’ mother, told ABC-7 during an interview that her daughter was supposed to be on suicide watch.

Vicenti further said that Williams was kept on life support for 4 days before she was notified that her daughter had taken her own life.

“I’m asking why were there so many deaths in that facility in 2025. And my daughter was one of them. I am asking why it took four days to contact me because my daughter was already dead,” Vicenti told ABC-7 during an interview.

Vicenti says that as a Native American who is part of the Jicarilla Apache Tribe, she needed to bury her daughter within 4 days of her death in accordance to her beliefs and was unable to do so.

“If they were to, take, took, taken precaution inside the jail, guarding her the way they did at the hospital, she would still be here,” said Vicenti

The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office confirmed to ABC-7 that Tara Williams was one of ten in-custody deaths in 2025.

In response to an ABC-7 interview request, the El Paso County Sheriff’s office sent this statement that read, quote,

“We can confirm that Tara Williams was one of ten in-custody deaths in 2025. Our office does not routinely release detailed information regarding suicides or deaths determined to be from natural causes.

As required by state law, and as explained by Sheriff Ugarte to the Williams family on Saturday, every in-custody death is reported to both the Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS) and the Texas Attorney General’s Office. Each case is thoroughly investigated by the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office Major Crimes Unit, the Texas Rangers, and TCJS. To date, TCJS has not found our office to be out of compliance, and we remain in full adherence with all state-mandated protocols.

The health, safety, and well-being of individuals in our custody remain a top priority. We are committed to transparency, accountability, and the continuous improvement of our practices. If it is determined that employee actions contributed to a death, appropriate accountability measures will be taken.”

Rosalie Vicenti, Tara Williams mother, told ABC-7 that she does not want any family to go through what they did.

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Heriberto Perez Lara

SUNLAND PARK, New Mexico (KVIA) — The U.S. federal government is about to begin construction of a new border wall along the U.S.-Mexico border in the Mount Cristo Rey area of ​​Sunland Park, New Mexico.

According to the El Paso Sector Border Patrol and the Ciudad Juárez Civil Protection Department, controlled detonations are expected to begin today to prepare the ground and lay the foundation for this new border wall.

ABC-7 reported last summer that approximately 1.3 kilometers of new border barrier were approved for the Sunland Park area, south of the mountain. The goal of this new wall in that area is to deter illegal immigration into the United States further, as this section of the border has lacked a wall for years and has been a very active area for migrant crossings, according to Border Patrol.

The controlled blasts are expected to begin around noon on Tuesday.

More updates in later newscasts.

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Nichole Gomez

El Paso, TX (KVIA-TV) – Mark your calendars: on Saturday, February 7th, at the Starlight Event Center, the El Paso Black Hall of Fame will host its 2nd annual induction ceremony and gala night, where legacy meets action.

Monica Tucker, the founder of Black El Paso Voice, and Reginald Daniel, Sr., who is a retired Army Command Sergeant Major, community leader, supporter, and volunteer. Dana Harley Boyd, a native El Pasoan, executive principal, past principal of the year, 2017 inductee into the El Paso Women’s Hall of Fame, and educational leader. Daniel Sr. and Harley Boyd joined us to talk about the event and what it means to be honored. They are just a few of the local leaders who will be celebrated during an evening of excellence and legacy at the El Paso Hall of Fame.

According to Monica Tucker, the Founder of Black El Paso Voice, the El Paso black hall of Fame was founded by the spouse of an Army Soldier, now marking 30 years in El Paso. Originally from Illinois, the Black Hall of Fame was created over 25 years ago, but did not come to fruition until a few years ago. It is a way I wanted to give back to the community and “give people their flowers while they’re here,” while also honoring deserving legends posthumously.

Tucker said, “The El Paso Black Hall of Fame exists to publicly recognize Black excellence connected to the borderland – honoring individuals and organizations who have lived in El Paso, grown up here, served here (including military ties), or maintained strong roots here, even if their current impact is being made elsewhere.”

She went on to say that this is more than an awards night; it’s legacy preservation in real time: documenting the stories that built and shaped this community, elevating contributions that are too often overlooked, and creating a clear public record of Black leadership, service, innovation, and cultural influence tied to El Paso.

El Paso Black Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony & Gala Details:

Date: Saturday, February 7, 2026

Time: 6:00 PM

Location: Starlight Event Center

Attire: Formal

Event Focus: The gala honors 15 outstanding individuals and 1 organization whose lives reflect pillars of excellence, including proven community impact and exceptional professional achievement. This year’s Lifetime Achievement Recipient is Chief Jonathan Killings, El Paso’s first Black Fire Chief.

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Nicole Ardila

January is National Human Trafficking Awareness Month, and now prevention month in Texas as declared by Gov. Greg Abbott earlier this month.

FBI El Paso says there’s a misconception that human trafficking happens more along the border, and that’s simply not true.

Human trafficking is a crime that involves sexual exploitation or forced labor.

It can happen anywhere, but according to Texas Health and Human Services, Texas has the second highest number reported sex trafficking cases in all 50 states.

FBI El Paso Supervisory Special Agent Edward Dominguez says in fiscal year 2025, the FBI opened over 900 human trafficking investigations and made over 500 arrests.

In fiscal year 2026, they’ve already opened over 200 cases, 225 investigations, and about 150 arrests so far. 

When asked if they knew how many victims actually make it back home safe, the FBI says the answer isn’t that simple.

“It’s hard to quantify that number because, well, sometimes we don’t know where to look. It’s hidden in plain sight,” says Dominguez. “Human trafficking, especially labor trafficking because it can be perpetrated by individuals who offer, legitimate business services.”

FBI El Paso says they often end up interviewing local businesses that offer real services like construction, restaurants or nail salons, but commit labor trafficking. 

Parents can even notice signs when they’re child is behaving odd, or has a phone, hotel room keys or credit card they don’t recognize.

Or if in public, if another person seems to be in control and doesn’t allow someone to answer questions for themselves.

Even extensive runaway and missing child reports can be a sign.

FBI El Paso says, many times victims don’t even know they’re being trafficked and don’t report it.

“Oftentimes, they have a distrust in law enforcement, so that keeps them from coming forward. It could have been a negative experience of law enforcement in the past, or maybe they’ve tried to report it to law enforcement and the enforcement didn’t believe their story,” says Dominguez. “So, it’s hard for the victim. It’s hard for them to come forward to report their ordeal.”

If you suspect someone may be trafficked, contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 888-373-7888 or call 911 if you see immediate danger.

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Heriberto Perez Lara

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — A video circulating on social media shows two migrants crossing the Rio Grande dressed as construction workers, along with three suspected human smugglers; this reportedly occurred on January 9.

Once they crossed the river, they were seen walking toward the levee and then heading to one of the border wall gates to illegally cross into El Paso.

According to the El Paso Sector Border Patrol, the migrants, one Mexican and one Ecuadorian, were arrested immediately after crossing through the border wall gate located in the Old Fort Bliss area, in West El Paso.

“Yeah, believe it or not, this situation has happened in the past as well. There are multiple criminal organizations that do this to gain illegal access to the United States between ports of entry, said Agent Claudio Herrera. “We have seen this type of situation often. Criminal organizations tend to tell the migrants how, when, and where they can cross the border illegally, and they are the ones who charge them thousands of dollars just to put their lives at risk in these situations. Of course, they’re going to face consequences. They’re going to be processed accordingly, and they’re going to be removed.”

Border Patrol also says these transnational criminal organizations often use these types of videos to lie to migrants and prove they are still operating, still crossing people illegally, and to offer their services at the border.

“Criminals are criminals, right? They disregard the lives of the people they’re smuggling into the country illegally. They don’t care about them. They charge whatever amount of money they can think of. And migrants are willing to pay these smugglers, sell their properties, sell everything they have, even borrow money from friends, family, whoever they can borrow from, just to get into the United States,” said Agent Herrera. “The reality is they will only place them in a stash house in Ciudad Juárez or any other city along the border. They will lie to them. They will treat them horribly. They will provide them with a lack of food, a lack of water.”

“It is important to let the people and the community know that we’re working for the benefit of our country, we’re protecting our borders, and we’re taking this job very, very seriously,” he added.

Agent Herrera also says that as the federal government continues construction of the border wall, it is important to be aware that this does not mean migrants can cross the border illegally. He says they tend to believe that because they’re working in those areas, there is no law enforcement presence there.

“The reality is that we even have people in the construction areas 24/7 just protecting our borders,” Agent Herrera added. “Let’s make that clear, right? We have eyes everywhere. We have technology. We have different assets that we can move where they need to be to arrest and apprehend these individuals.”

He added that partnerships the Department of Homeland Security, Customs and Border Protection, and Border Patrol have with the Department of War, the state of Texas, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office help them impose serious consequences on those people entering the country illegally through the construction sites.

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Olivia Vara

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — One El Paso artist found his voice by creating from the heart.

Gabriel Marquez runs a studio in El Paso that highlights his signature line art alongside works from other local artists. His art all started with his distinctive linear prints.

Marquez says his style truly came to life when he stopped trying to imitate others.

“Your voice comes out when you don’t have any references,” he told ABC-7 during an interview.

Marquez’a art primarily blends fluid drawing with desert symbolism. The studio produces murals, paintings, graphic designs, and even 3D prints that echo motion and the desert’s character through intricate linear forms.

Beyond a gallery, Mystic Desert Studio also operates as a culture shop, showcasing Marquez’s work while providing a platform for local artists.

The venue participates in community projects and pop-up markets, strengthening El Paso’s mural and street-art scene.

When asked what advice he would give artists finding their own style, Marquez said not to think, just draw.

“If you can draw from memory, then it’s going to be more unique because nobody sees the world like you do,” said Marquez.

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Nichole Gomez

El Paso, TX (KVIA-TV) – When it comes to saving lives, experts say don’t worry about being a backseat driver. In today’s TxDOT Talk, Lauren Macias Cervantes joins us to talk about National Passenger Safety Week. Also big news is coming West El Paso.

I-10 Widening West

Saturday, January 17 through Saturday, January 24

9 a.m. to 4 p.m. (as needed)

North- and South Desert between Vinton and Mesa alternate lane closures

Crews will be working on miscellaneous construction work.

I-10 east- and westbound between Vinton and Mesa alternate lane closures

Crews will be sweeping, striping, power washing, and painting barrier on I-10.

Thorn east- and westbound at the intersections of North and South Desert alternate lane closures

Crews will be removing and replacing concrete sidewalks.

24 Hour Closure

Saturday, January 24, 5 a.m. through Sunday, January 25, 5 a.m.

I-10 eastbound between Redd and Mesa closed

Detour: Exit Redd and use South Desert to re-enter I-10 at Mesa ramp.

Crews will be removing barrier, sweeping, striping for opening the new Mesa off-ramp (Ramp 9) and opening I-10 eastbound to its final 3-lane configuration from Redd to Mesa.

Monday, January 26 through Saturday, January 31

9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Eastbound bypass lanes between Redd and Mesa closed

Detour: Traffic will continue onto South Desert through Thorn intersection and enter I-10 before Mesa.

Crews will be completing construction on an ornamental fence at Thorn.

Safety Lighting on Mesa (SH-20) & Dyer St. (BU-54)

Monday, January 19 through Friday, January 23

7 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Mesa at Resler west- and eastbound left lane closed

Mesa at Camile west- and eastbound left lane closed

BU-54 Dyer northbound between Edge of Texas and Mesquite Hills shoulder closed

Crews will be working on lighting improvements.

Road Repair

9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Tuesday, January 20 and Wednesday, January 21

Spur 601 eastbound between Global Reach and Constitution left lane closed

Thursday, January 22

Spur 601 westbound between Constitution and Global Reach shoulder closed

Crews will be working on road repair.

Guardrail Repair

9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Monday, January 19 through Friday, January 23

I-10 eastbound between Raynolds and Trowbridge right lane and on-ramp closed at Raynolds, and off-ramp closed at Trowbridge

Monday, January 19

Gateway North at New Mexico/Texas State line right lane closed

Tuesday, January 20

CD lanes westbound between Sunland Park and Resler right lane and left lane on Resler exit closed

Wednesday, January 21

Gateway North at Fred Wilson exit lane closed

Thursday, January 22

Woodrow Beam westbound between Rushing and Girl Scout left lane and on-ramp closed at Rushing

Friday, January 23

Loop 375 east- and westbound between US-54 and Tom Mays Park alternate lane closures

Concrete Repairs

9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Tuesday, January 20 and Wednesday, January 21

CD lanes (US-54) northbound between Altura and Cassidy right lane closed

Crews will be working on rip rap.

Thursday, January 23

East Missouri between Virginia and Campbell left lane closed

Maintenance

Tuesday, January 19 through Friday, January 23

9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Ramp N between Loop 375 East and US-54 North closed

Loop 375 (Border Highway) eastbound between Cordova Bridge and US-54 right lane closed

Delta eastbound between Cordova Bridge and Boone right lane closed

Crews will be working on bridge joints.

Loop 375 Widening Project

Saturday, January 17

7 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Loop 375 southbound main lanes closure between Pelicano Drive and North Loop Exit Ramp

Continuous 22-hour closure beginning 7 a.m. Sunday January 18th through 5 a.m. Monday January 19

Loop 375 main lanes southbound closure between North Loop Exit Ramp and Padres Exit Ramp.

Crews working on final striping placement.

Saturday, January 17, to Sunday, January 18

Daily, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Loop 375 main lanes southbound alternating left and right lane closures between Bob Hope Drive and Padres Exit Ramp.

Crews working on final striping placement.

Monday, January 19, to Friday, January 23

Daily, 9a.m. to 4 p.m.

Loop 375 main lanes alternating north- and southbound closures between North Loop Drive and Zaragoza Road (Port of Entry)

Americas Avenue (frontage road) alternating south-and northbound lane closures between North Loop Drive and Zaragoza Road (Port of Entry)

Crews working on installing miscellaneous items and clean-up.

Monday, January 19, to Thursday, January 22

Nightly, 9 p.m. to 5 a.m.

Loop 375 southbound main lanes closure between North Loop Exit Ramp and Padres Exit Ramp

Crews working on ride quality operations.

I-10 Landscape & Aesthetic Project

Monday, January 19 to Friday, January 23

Daily, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

I-10 westbound right lane closure between George Dieter Drive and Lee Trevino Drive

I-10 westbound right lane closure between Lomaland Drive and Yarbrough Drive

Gateway West left lane closure at Zaragoza Road

Crews will be installing lighting and placing steel structures.

Sergeant Major Bridge Reconstruction Project

Monday, January 19 to Friday, January 23

Nightly, 9 p.m. to 5 a.m.

Purple Heart Highway (Loop 375) southbound full closure at Sargent Major Boulevard

Crews will be setting concrete barrier along southbound Sargeant Major Entrance- and Exit Ramps.

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Nichole Gomez

El Paso, TX (KVIA-TV) – The El Paso Pro-Musica Chamber Music Festival will celebrate Zuill Bailey’s 25th Season as Artistic Director. According to El Paso Pro-Musica, Zuill will perform along with the Vega Quartet and violinist Helen Kim, who will be featured for the special musical segment. The Festival will continue through January, featuring the Grammy Award-winning Organist Paul Jacobs and the Juilliard String Quartet.

Event Details:

Sunday with Zuill and Friends

Sunday, January 18

2:30 p.m.

UTEP Fox Fine Arts Recital Hall

Tickets at eppm.org or at the door.

All Student Tickets are $5.00

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Nichole Gomez

El Paso, TX (KVIA-TV) – Socorro Independent School District Superintendent James Vasquez has been named in the National School Public Relations Association annual list of Superintendents to Watch. According to the district, this year NSPRA selected 30 leaders from school systems across the United States for the 2025-26 honor, which recognizes superintendents in their first five years of service for outstanding leadership.

James Vasquez said, “It’s really nice, it’s a team award. It’s not, it’s not just me. I couldn’t do it without the support of a great school board. We have a fantastic team of  Leaders across the district from  assistant superintendents, directors, principals, and of course the teachers and the students, it’s a, it’s a system, it’s all of us together and I think it’s just a recognition of what we’ve all done as a district to continue to move us forward and to have made great strides over the past couple of years”.

The School District is  also setting the standard for academic excellence in the El Paso region. According to results released in the 2024–2025 Texas Academic Performance Report by the Texas Education Agency, Socorro ISD is the highest-scoring school district in the region based on overall STAAR and End-of-Course performance.  

To learn more about Socorro ISD’s outstanding achievement as the highest-scoring school district in the El Paso region, visit www.sisd.net/highestscoringdistrict.

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