James Talarico to stop in El Paso for US Senate campaign

Gabrielle Lopez

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — Texas democratic U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico will stop in El Paso this weekend as part of his campaign for the November election. A town hall featuring the candidate will take place Saturday.

His campaign organizers said his community town hall will take place from 7:30-9:30 p.m. at the Plaza Theatre in Downtown El Paso.

Talarico’s stop in El Paso is one of several planned in South Texas this month.

In November, he will face Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton for the U.S. Senate seat.

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Federal disaster aid approved for Ruidoso generators, New Mexico debris removal

Gabrielle Lopez

RUIDOSO, N.M. (KVIA) — The Federal Emergency Management Agency approved more than $144 million to help communities rebuild and protect infrastructure from future disasters. Friday, Department of Homeland Security said the Village of Ruidoso will get some of that aid.

Ruidoso will get more than $770,000 for generators for critical facilities in the village, DHS said in a news release. This money comes from the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program.

FEMA coordinates with the state on all recovery and Hazard mitigation projects, according to DHS.

Additionally, New Mexico’s DHS and Emergency Management will get more than $1.1 million to remove debris after wildfires, floods, mudflows and straight-line winds from 2022. This money comes from the Public Assistance program.

Other aid will go to parts of Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana and Oklahoma.

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Alleged ‘imposter’ nurse arrested under fraud warrants

Gabrielle Lopez

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — A woman accused of posing as a nurse and working without a license has been arrested in El Paso Thursday, according to jail records. Forty-three-year-old Margarita Gonzalez’ arrest comes after a Doña Ana County jury indicted her in May.

Jail records said the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office arrested her under several warrants for fraud charges — including for health care and possessing someone else’s identifying information. Records said the offenses reportedly took place between January 2023 and July 2025.

Her bond totaled $130,000. Jail records said some of the charges she faced didn’t have bond.

In May, New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez charged Gonzalez with 34 counts of misconduct for allegedly impersonating nurses in Texas to get a job in Las Cruces. If convicted, she faces up to 100 years in prison.

The New Mexico Department of Justice alleged she administered narcotics to minors and nearly caused a patient’s death.

According to a NMDOJ investigation, Gonzalez illegally administered injections and prescribed medicine, including narcotics to eight children.

The investigation also alleged she incorrectly dosed a patient with insulin, which could have caused a serious incident or death, NMDOJ said. Another nurse caught the mistake before the patient got the dose.

NMDOJ said Gonzalez worked at the following places, which all paid compensation based on the fraudulent licenses:

Village at Northrise

Las Cruces Wellness and Rehabilitation

Peak Behavioral Health

Matrix Home Care

In October 2025, the Texas Board of Nursing issued an imposter alert accusing Gonzalez of posing as a nurse.

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Industry leaders in Juárez raise concerns over USMCA reviews

Heriberto Perez Lara

CIUDAD JUÁREZ, Chihuahua (KVIA) — Several business and industry leaders on the border are raising concerns about the recent reviews of the United States-Mexico-Canada (USMCA) trade agreement, which will begin every year until it ends in 2036.

ABC-7 spoke with Marcelo Vázquez Tovar, the regional delegate in Chihuahua for the National Association of Importers and Exporters of the Mexican Republic (ANIERM), who shared his perspective on the challenges and opportunities this scenario presents for our local and national economy.

Vázquez Tovar said Mexico faces challenges and opportunities due to a possible non-renewal of trade agreements by the United States. In response, Mexico has an opportunity to transition to producing its own components for the maquiladora industry, thereby reducing dependence on external supplies.

Vázquez Tovar said this announcement, made as the USMCA draws to a close, creates a sense of uncertainty. However, he also described it as a turning point for seeking greater certainty and developing stronger, more reasonable strategies.

Despite potential trade shifts, Ciudad Juárez’s economy is expected to maintain its dynamism due to its robust productive capacity.

The city’s labor market is expected to undergo readjustment, similar to those experienced in other regions of Mexico. This regrouping presents an opportunity for Mexico to transition toward producing its own components for the maquiladora industry, rather than depending exclusively on external supplies.

To address this scenario, collaboration among various chambers of commerce, associations and the government is vital. This partnership will provide firsthand information to support ANIERM members in developing new components and establishing specialized workshops.

Vázquez Tovar also emphasized that although this situation presents significant challenges, it does not represent an “end of the world,” but rather a period of readjustment.

Mexico possesses the necessary elements to develop this productive capacity,” Vázquez said. “From ANIERM, the commitment is to keep members informed and work in coordination to strengthen the region’s productive sovereignty, transforming current challenges into a stage of industrial maturity for Mexico.”

This industrial transition is projected to take a 10-year period to complete. ANIERM plans to continue working in coordination to strengthen the region’s productive sovereignty.

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First-degree murder conviction upheld in Alamogordo police officer’s shooting death

Gabrielle Lopez

ALAMOGORDO, N.M. (KVIA) — Friday, the New Mexico Department of Justice said the state’s supreme court upheld a first-degree murder conviction in a shooting that killed an Alamogordo police officer. Dominic De La O will continue serving a life sentence in prison without parole.

In July 2023, De La O shot and killed Anthony Ferguson with a sawed-off, unregistered shotgun after an attempted traffic stop, the NMDOJ said. Ferguson died to his injuries a day after De La O shot him.

NMDOJ said De La O discarded his shirt and the shotgun as he ran way, and Alamogordo police chased him and shot his leg.

Thursday, the court argued the appeal and affirmed all convictions against De La O, including first-degree murder, tampering with evidence, aggravated fleeing of an officer, resisting or evading an officer and criminal trespass. NMDOJ said.

Dominic De La O was also sentenced to eight years in prison for federal firearms offenses related to the murder in June 2025.

According to the NMDOJ, Ferguson was an 11-year veteran of the Alamogordo Police Department and a field training officer.

Courtesy: Alamogordo Police Department

In October 2024, authorities sentenced 32-year-old Jonah Apodaca to six years in prison for providing De La O with the sawed-off shotgun. Apodaca pleaded guilty earlier that year in July.

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Man falls off border wall in Sunland Park

Gabrielle Lopez

SUNLAND PARK, N.M. (KVIA) — Friday, the Sunland Park Fire Department said a man fell off the border wall.

It happened Friday morning around 3:15 a.m. at 1000 Camino Real Dr. by a landfill near the wall, officials said.

In a Facebook post, the fire department said a man in his 40s fell 20 feet off the wall and injured himself. They transported him to the hospital.

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Good Vibes Only: El Paso boy to escort players onto field for World Cup match

Rosemary Garcia

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — The Lopez family is counting down the days to their upcoming trip to Dallas, Texas, as one family member will take part in an unforgettable experience at the 2026 World Cup.

9-year-old Noah Lopez will help escort soccer players onto the field for an upcoming semi-final match. He’ll be briefly featured during the televised event while holding players’ hands.

Several months ago, Claudia Lopez entered her son’s name in a raffle for the opportunity, but never imagined he would be selected! The contest selected children to cheer on their favorite teams while escorting players onto the pitch before kickoff.

ABC-7 spoke with the family ahead of their trip to the soccer tournament. Noah said he is both excited and nervous!

“It’s going to be crazy going in the World Cup, holding a player’s hand in the semifinals,” he said.

The Player Escort Program has helped young soccer fans escort players onto the pitch across all 104 matches, with nearly 2,000 children participating across Mexico, Canada and the United States.

Noah’s parents recalled the moment they found out their son would be taking part in this rare opportunity:

“I just remember closing my eyes and saying a little prayer and then pressing the button. And then I just saw the email come up, and it says, ‘Congratulations! You’ve been selected.’ So it was really cool. It was exciting,”

“To be able to think that we’re going to be able to go to the World Cup. It’s just like one of those things you have on your bucket list, and, thankfully, you know, my son got selected, and now we’re able to enjoy this,” Edwin added.

Noah said he also couldn’t believe it when his mom first told him about it. He thought his mom was pranking him. Now, he feels eager to be up close to some world-class athletes.

As part of this experience, one parent can accompany their child on the day of the game. While Claudia entered her son in the raffle, she decided to give her spot to her husband, who is a big soccer fan.

“It’s still a little surreal. I’ll believe it when we’re there,” Edwin said. “I can’t believe it. It’s one of those things that you dream of, and it’s amazing that it’s becoming true.”

Edwin will watch the game inside Dallas Stadium alongside other parents. Noah will be taken to a separate viewing area with other escorts after kickoff.

While Noah’s mom and sisters were not able to secure tickets, they’ll be watching the game from outside the stadium. They said they are still excited about this rare opportunity Noah is taking a participating in.

Noah’s sisters have given him a few pointers ahead of his big moment.

“Smile and take pictures for me,” said one sister.

Congratulations to Noah and the entire Lopez family!

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Former nurse practitioner arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting a patient

Gabrielle Lopez

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — Thursday, the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office said it arrested a 50-year-old man for allegedly sexually assaulting a patient while he worked as a nurse practitioner.

Victor Lee Ilog had outstanding felony warrants for two counts of sexual assault, EPCSO said. Deputies arrested him Wednesday afternoon.

The sheriff’s office said Ilog allegedly sexually assaulted a patient between 2021-2025. At the time, he worked with Atlantis Behavior Health Services in El Paso and Grow Therapy, according to the Texas Board of Nursing.

Ilog booked into the El Paso County Downtown Detention Facility with a $100,000 bond.

Court documents said Ilog was indicted June 17 for sexual assault.

ABC-7 previously reported Ilog voluntarily surrendered his license in October 2025 after court documents alleged he violated the boundaries of a nurse-client relationship.

The Texas Board of Nursing said Ilog allegedly engaged in sexual relationships with patients and “inappropriately focused on the details of [a] patient’s sex life.” 

Texas Board of Nursing issued a settlement agreement with the following conditions: Ilog is prohibited from practicing as an advanced registered nurse or as a registered nurse and cannot use the titles APRN (advanced practice registered nurse) or RN (registered nurse).

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Woman dies after Central El Paso apartment fire

Katrina Villarreal

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — A woman in her 50s died after an apartment fire in Central El Paso, the city’s fire department said Thursday.

It happened at the Johnson Apartments on the 3600 block of Johnson Ave. It was reported just after 11:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Fire crews arrived to find flames and smoke coming from the building. They were able to bring the fire under control and continue to look for hot spots.

There was a burned car outside the apartments and investigators are looking into a possible connection between the fire and car fire.

Red cross is helping one person who was displaced after the fire.

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El Paso man sentenced to 5 years for stalking woman he met at gym

Gabrielle Lopez

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — An El Paso man received a five-year sentence after pleading guilty to stalking a woman for nearly a year, according to court records ABC-7 obtained Thursday.

According to police documents, a woman met Ivan Alejandro Alvarado at the gym in November 2024. She told police he went up and started talking to her and asked for her phone number to recommend a boxing gym.

The woman rejected and said they could exchange social media instead, according to documents. Alvarado told her he didn’t have any social media accounts and asked for her number again.

The woman said she felt obligated to give her number because Alvarado was “being pushy asking continuously,” according to documents.

During her workout, Alvarado called the woman and asked to meet after the gym, documents said. She rejected and felt “uneasy on how insistent” he was.

The woman told police Alvarado he kept calling and messaging her. She said she replied in ways to show that she wasn’t interested in him.

The woman told Alvarado she didn’t want to talk or see him, but he kept messaging her, according to documents.

While out with a friend, the woman received sexually explicit messages from Alvarado, according to documents. The woman told police she never asked for pictures or videos from him and that she told him she wasn’t interested.

According to documents, the woman told Alvarado “she was not that type of girl and hoped he had a good night.”

After, the woman kept getting messages, calls and blocked caller IDs from Alvarado, documents said. She said the no-caller ID calls were from Alvarado as he left voice messages after calling.

In December 2024, Alvarado tried calling the woman and left a voice message when she didn’t answer, documents said. The woman said the voice message sounded like he threatened to sexually assault her.

In one instance, Alvarado sent a voicemail saying he would pick the woman up, and documents said she never shared her address with him.

Documents said the woman felt unsafe and scared about seeing Alvarado at the gym and decided to change her membership.

In January 2025 at her new gym, she saw Alvarado on the second floor, documents said. She reported him to gym staff and stayed away from him. Staff later escorted Alvarado and told him to leave. After this interaction, police called him and told him to leave the woman alone, documents said.

Throughout the month, the woman said Alvarado still tried to call her without a caller ID, police said.

In November 2025, Alvarado tried to interact with the woman at the gym, documents said. He asked for her help and changed his tone “sounding angry” when she said no.

Alvarado yelled at her to “come back” as she tried to walk away and ignore him, documents said. Inside the building, she asked staff for help while he reportedly stayed outside “pacing back and forth.” Gym staff said they couldn’t do anything since Alvarado was outside, documents said.

The woman told police she saw him try to open a car door she worried he may have thought was hers, documents said. She had a friend walk her to her car and left the gym.

Police documents said Alvarado tried to call the woman 30 times and 48 times without a caller ID from November-December 2024. He also left nine voicemails after she blocked calls without a caller ID.

Court documents said Alvarado was convicted for publish/threat to publish intimate visual material in 2019. The El Paso District Attorney’s Office told ABC-7 Alvarado was already on probation for that charge, but his probation was revoked as a result of his final plea.

The district attorney’s office also told ABC-7 he faced a terroristic threat charge, but dismissed the misdemeanor charge as part of the plea.

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