Author: KVIA

Gabrielle Lopez

UPDATE (July 10, 2026) — ABC-7 spoke with Oracle Cloud Infrastructure’s executive vice president, Mahesh Thiagarajan, about the investigation. He said:

“I’m actually very thrilled and excited that the AG and the DOJ is actually directly involved in reviewing those comments, and here’s why.

First, Oracle takes its responsibility around a public comment period and a process like it’s a holy grail. I, as a responsible neighbor and as a business that is actually choosing to build in New Mexico, I do not have a chance but to be nothing but perfect. And so we follow a very accurate process where we are given very clear instruction that follows, you know, men’s guidelines about how we need to go through this common period.

Now, second, ProjectJupitertogether.com, which is essentially a public website that empowers and enables every New Mexican to go either support or not support the project. And the great news about our what we have done is all the comments that were, you know, kind of posted, we have transparently passed that through to NMED, including hundreds of comments that opposed the project.

And so Oracle follows a very, very rigorous, thorough transparent process to meet the guidelines that is actually posed by the local city, county and state officials. So we’re very thrilled and excited about these investigations because we are looking forward to the findings and the security investigation on who these individuals are because we followed a very transparent process about how we’re collecting our comments.”

DONA ANA COUNTY, N.M. (KVIA) — Thursday, the New Mexico Department of Justice said it’s investigating allegations of fake public comments submitted during a public review period for an air quality permit tied to the Project Jupiter data center planned for Doña Ana County.

NMDOJ is investigating Yucca Growth Infrastructure, LLC, the data center’s developer. The department said people alleged fake comments submitted under their names.

In June, Oracle announced an update to its power plan for the data center. Yucca Growth Infrastructure filed an application to use Bloom Energy fuel cell technology, replacing the original design with gas turbines and diesel generators.

Oracle said the Bloom Energy plan would lower emissions and water use.

The New Mexico Environmental Department deemed the permit application complete and moved to a public comment review period, which closed Monday.

NMDOJ said it received complaints from people alleging comments were submitted in their names without their knowledge or consent, according to a press release.

The Justice Department also said it got similar complaints from elected officials. They reported comments were filed on their behalf without authorization.

Thursday, NMDOJ sent a letter to the New Mexico Environment Department asking for cooperation in the investigation and urged the agency to review public comments associated with the permit application.

2026-07-09-NMDOJ-Ltr-to-NMED-JKenney-re-YGI-Download

“The integrity of New Mexico’s public processes depends on ensuring that every voice is authentic,” said Attorney General Raúl Torrez in a statement. “If individuals or organizations attempted to manipulate the public comment process through fraudulent submissions, we will investigate those actions thoroughly and hold responsible parties accountable.”

In a press release, Oracle Vice President Michael Egbert said he’s aware about the allegations.

Egbert said in part:

“ProjectJupiterTogether.com provided a public portal through which anyone could submit comments to the New Mexico Environment Department. This portal transmitted every comment received to NMED, including hundreds of comments opposing the project. If anyone deliberately submitted comments using another person’s name or false information, that would represent an abuse of the public comment process, which Project Jupiter does not support or condone.

Based on our review to date, the submissions we have completed our review of are legitimate comments from residents who happen to share the same name as someone else. There are other submissions within this small number that require further investigation. We review every question about authenticity and will continue to actively investigate each instance that is raised. Any isolated instances of improper conduct should be addressed, but they should not overshadow or undermine the thousands of residents who have participated honestly and in accordance with the process.

New Mexico’s public permitting process exists so that everyone has an opportunity to make their voice heard. The process is working, and we remain committed to protecting the integrity of the public process for everyone and to ensuring that community participation is voluntary, informed, and transparent.”

The NMDOJ said people can report if they’ve been affected by the scheme to its office online or by calling 505-490-4060.

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Gabrielle Lopez

(KVIA) — The New Mexico Department of Health on Thursday warned residents to watch for heat illness this weekend, as much of the state is expected to warm up above 100 degrees.

ABC-7’s StormTrack weather team forecasted a high in Las Cruces to reach 100 Thursday. That high could reach 103 Friday and 101 Saturday.

“It’s going to be a hot summer, and certain populations – including children, adults over 65, outdoor workers and people with chronic health conditions – are among the most at-risk when temperatures climb,” said Chelsea Langer, Chief of the NMDOH Environmental Health Epidemiology Bureau.  

NMDOH said residents should look out for these symptoms of heat-related illness:

Warm, red skin that can progress to cold, pale and clammy skin.

Fast, weak pulse.

Nausea, vomiting and muscle cramps.

Tiredness, weakness or dizziness leading to possibly passing out. 

Heat illness can progress quickly. NMDOH said to get medical attention if you have a fever, chills, nausea or vomiting, or confusion.

NMDOH also shared a list of protective methods to avoid heat-related illness:

Stay cool inside. Keep window shades drawn during the day to help keep the heat out. When outside, stay in shaded areas.

Drink plenty of water and avoid alcohol.

Wear lightweight, loose-fitting and light-colored clothing.

Schedule outdoor activities for cooler times of the day.

Never leave children or pets in the car.   

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Andrew J. Polk

RUIDOSO, N.M. (KVIA) — It’s been two years since wildfires scorched areas surrounding the Village of Ruidoso high in the Sierra Blanca mountains. Just a year ago this week, heavy rains on those burned areas sent runoff rushing down the Rio Ruidoso — causing deadly flash flooding.

Three people died, including two children.

Flooding also caused tens of millions of dollars in damage.

ABC-7’s Andrew J. Polk went back to some of the hardest-hit areas and talked with community members — including Ruidoso’s mayor — and business owners about their recovery, and what it will take to build up Ruidoso’s resilience.

Our crews went as far up as we could in the Upper Canyon, into the South Fork burn scar area to the west of Ruidoso near the boundary with the Mescalero reservation.

On a street once lined with homes and cabins for years — only the chimneys and charred stumps remain.

We also revisited areas directly damaged by the floods. Some plots have been cleared, while other damaged structures remained.

What may be surprising to some who haven’t visited though is how business are faring.

On Sudderth Drive, one of the main business streets, most shops are open with new construction and tourist traffic present in the middle of the week. Many businesses there have remained open through the fires and floods the higher elevation of Sudderth meant there wasn’t much damage there, despite being just a stones throw away from the river.

“Every time it rains, we have the potential because of the burn scars on the South Fork and Salt [fires],” said Village of Ruidoso Mayor Lynn Crawford. “So there’s that apprehension. But if you go down in the Midtown area, you know, most all of our buildings are full with businesses. Are they’re being remodeled or new ones have been built. So there’s a lot of optimism.”

Mayor Crawford said despite the struggle to overcome the initial damage, the community is rebounding even if it will take years to fully recover and build up to meet the new reality.

Last year, local, state and national officials promised assistance in the immediate aftermath of the worst of the floods. But Crawford said there’s been a lot of red tape to make that funding become a reality, particularly when it comes to clearing the homes and structures now considered in the path of flooding.

“Well, that’s been a long time coming because there’s been several different programs that the federal government has that we found out in the scheme of things,” Crawford said. “We’ve been working on some sort of a buyout program. So we were fortunate enough to work with a USDA program and the NRCS (Natural Resources Conservation Service) on a $230 million buyout program.”

Anything in the floodway next to the river may have to be removed, and new or extensively-repaired structures in the expanded floodplain will have to meet new standards. It’s an ongoing process, expected to take years more to complete.

“It’ll all be green space permanently,” Crawford said. “Once it’s bought out in this program, it has to be permanently. You know, it’ll be mowed and we may be able to put some gravel walking trails through there, but there won’t be any permanent structures allowed.” 

Those new building standards are expected to change the shape of the community.

“A lot of things change, especially with the burn scars,” Crawford said. “A lot of the river channels that widened, deepened, been scoured down to bedrock. So there’s a lot of mitigation that we’re having to look at hardening the river, you know, with natural looking rock and maybe concrete. We’re looking at increasing the size of the culverts. This all comes from the floodplain studies, funding that we’ve received and that we will receive for new roads and utilities.”

Those new flood maps include the area of the Riverview RV park, which is where 7 year-old Sebastian and 4 year-old Charlotte Trotter were swept away from by the record flood waters the evening of July 8, 2025. A memorial cross now stands on the site, also dedicated to Benjamin Feagin and the Trotter family’s dogs, who were also killed in the floods.

An attorney for the Trotter family said they came to an agreement with the campground, and there is no legal action pending against the owners.

Further downstream, owner of Bears “R” Us Aggie Mendoza is holding on after a tough year. She almost lost her business after flash floods and mud from the Salt fire burn scar coming off Highway 70 washed away thousands of dollars of her wood carvings.

“There’s still a lot of work, you know, a little bit a lot more work to do to clean up,” Mendoza said. “And we kind of left piles of dirt on the side because we were kind of tired to clean up because we thought that we were going to close. But the tourists or the people, they’re still coming and visiting.”

Bailey Riddle is one of the owner of Old Barrel Tea Company on uphill on Sudderth. They and surrounding businesses made it through relatively unscathed, but the concerns linger for a local economy dependent on tourism.

“I think we were really worried that it would deter people from ever coming back,” Riddle said. “And so whenever we had kind of gotten past those disasters and we felt like things were stable and normal and safe again and people came to town, we were just so grateful for them. And people seem to want to keep being here.”

Riddle said business is on the upswing for them, but not everyone is seeing the same recovery.

“We’re a small town, so we know a lot of our neighbors pretty well,” Riddle said. “And we all talk about how we’re doing, and some people are definitely down. But I think we we feel that we’ve recovered.”

But beyond the natural disaster recovery, the community is facing another long-term economic crisis. One of the biggest remaining questions is of the future of the Ruidoso Downs Racetrack and Casino. In January of this year, the owners posted on their website that engineering reviews and environmental studies “concluded that the Racetrack is not sustainable as a public venue. We are deeply concerned about the safety and well-being of everyone who attends Ruidoso Downs Racetrack, and our equine athletes. Continuing operations at the current site of Ruidoso Downs Racetrack is not feasible.”

“We’re really starting to feel that the racetrack, you know, is gone,” Crawford said. “And so this is when we really see the revenue during the weekdays that are generated by the track, by people that come in and stay, you know, 2 or 3 months. So that’s starting to (be) noticed. So we expect a downturn in revenue.”

Riddle said that the economic pain is real – but the town is still working to move past that latest loss.

“Not to say it doesn’t hurt because of course, like any loss of revenue-generating traffic hurts the town,” Riddle said. “But I think that Ruidoso is in a place where we’re no longer so dependent on those things. There’s a lot of other attractions and draws. So I think, you know, obviously it’s not preferred. It would be great if the racetrack could find a way to reopen. But but people are still people are still coming.”

As for Mendoza, when asked if her sales have returned to pre-flood levels:

“No,” Mendoza said. “No, because we’re not having the racetrack. The racetrack did bring a lot of people to Ruidoso. But I’m still here because I can still pay my bills and I can still pay my electricity.”

She’s determined to make it right in the community she loves.

“It is going to get better,” Mendoza said. “We have to know that it’s it’s going to take a couple of more years with the floods and the water, and we just have to work around it because I’m not moving.”

She – and others – are working to stay resilient in Ruidoso.

Watch the full reports in the videos above.

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Gabrielle Lopez

LAS CRUCES, N.M. (KVIA) — The Las Cruces Police Department on Thursday warned the public for suspicious people who steal copper wire from light poles and new construction sites.

Police think people steal copper wide from light poles, take off plastic coating, chop the wire into small section and sell the scraps to recycling centers in El Paso and Las Cruces. Police said scrap copper wire can sell for about $5 per pound at the centers.

However, police said each incident of copper wire theft can cost the city up to $10,000 for repairs.

The thefts also pose a public safety hazard since some roads have to go without lighting at night until repairs are made, police said.

LCPD said most of the copper wire thefts happen between midnight and 5 a.m. near home construction sites and established neighborhoods.

It’s happened from Elks Drive, Holman Road and West Mesa Industrial Park, according to LCPD.

Since November 2025, LCPD received around 100 reports about stolen copper wire. Since January 2026, police arrested and charged 12 people suspected of stealing copper wire from light poles.

Police said typical charges are felony counts of criminal damage to property and larceny.

LCPD urged people to report suspicious activity about copper wire theft to (575) 526-0795.

Police said vehicles without City of Las Cruces or El Paso Electric logos parked near light poles should be considered suspicious.

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Gabrielle Lopez

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — El Paso Independent School District students are producing a full-scale theatrical production of “Shrek the Musical.” They’ll perform on stage July 15-18 at Coronado High School.

EPISD said its Fine Arts department has been working on the play and will showcase student work in acting, music, stage building, costume making and other theatrical skills.

“Fine Arts gives students the opportunity to discover their passions, build confidence, and develop skillsthat last a lifetime,” said Phillip Barraza, Senior Director of EPISD’s Fine Arts.

Performances are free, according to EPISD. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., and the musical starts at 7 p.m. EPISD said students will perform July 15-18 at Coronado High School.

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Heriberto Perez Lara

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — The Paso del Norte Center of Hope, which was opened to assist and protect victims of human trafficking, leads anti-trafficking efforts in the borderland and is partnering with law enforcement and local nonprofits in the region.

The center has seen an average of 45 to 50 human trafficking cases monthly this year so far, compared to about 211 they reported last year.

“People are unaware that trafficking exists in our community,” said Nicole Schiff. “People often confuse Smuggling and Human Trafficking because of our proximity to the border but it’s important to note the majority of the cases we work involve U.S. Citizens being trafficked by U.S. Citizens,” said Executive Director Nicole Schiff.

Schiff has been the head of the center for nearly six years now and says the most important part of her job is to show the differences between smuggling and trafficking in El Paso.

These are some examples of human trafficking cases they have responded to:

Child exploitation

Online exploitation

“People aren’t aware that that’s happening in our community, so when I’m able to give them that information and help them become more aware, I think that’s the best part of my job,” said Schiff.

“Human trafficking is a crime committed against a person. This is important to note because it is involuntary, exploitation-based, and does not require a person to be moved across a border or state lines, although it can involve foreign nationals. Only a small percentage of the work we do involve victims coming into the country who are working excessive hours and they’re not getting paid, or their documents are being held against them, or promised that they’ll get help with the documents, and then they don’t get anything,” she added. 

Human trafficking could be involuntary, exploitation-based, no border crossing required, it can involve citizens or foreign nationals, lucrative, illicit and it also involves an organized crime network.

“There have been people for sure that have been smuggled into the country or come in and in the process were trafficked, so we have served individuals from Cuba, Venezuela, we’ve had both males and females and they end up being offered a job,” Schiff said.

“Smuggling, in contrast, is a crime against the state which generally involves transportation, importation, exportation, or concealment of goods, money, or people across a border in violation of the law, often avoiding customs duties, taxes, immigration controls, or other government regulations,” she added. 

The Center of Hope also refers people to legal services, but it does not offer them.

The average age of the Center’s clients is 14; therefore, they primarily serve young people.

Currently, they have three full-time case managers dedicated to young people, compared to just one for adults, and there has been a significant increase in online exploitation since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We primarily see cases involving adults engaging with youth online, or grooming youth to be in romantic or sexual relationships. Some examples of this have been cases of local news coverage of 14-year-olds with a 35-year-old professional in the education system like a coach or teacher. We’ve also seen cases where Fort Bliss soldiers are with 13 or 14-year-old girls,” Schiff added.    

For more information on how the center can help you, you can click here.

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Gabrielle Lopez

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — El Paso Electric’s proposal to build a new natural gas power plant to serve the planned Meta data center started a hearing Wednesday and will continue Thursday.

The utility proposed a natural gas plant to support the data center in Northeast El Paso.

Wednesday, the hearing started and the state administrative hearings office listened to testimony.

EPE said the plant will cost almost $500 million, but won’t impact rate payers.

The city opposed the plant and has been a drive force for the hearing taking place.

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Rishi Oza

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — A jury awarded $104 million in a wrongful death case against a national trucking company, Mesilla Valley Transportation (MVT Services LLC), after one of its drivers crashed and killed El Pasoan Orlando Robles, Tawney, Acosta and Chaparro P.C. said Wednesday.

In a news release, TAC said the crash happened on the I-40 in Sequoyah County, Oklahoma.

Juan Garcia, the truck’s driver and company trainer, reportedly fell asleep while driving, drifted off the road and crashed into a box truck with its emergency lights flashing on the shoulder, TAC said. This proves to be what occured in a newly released video obtained by ABC 7.

The crash destroyed the sleeper compartment where and killed Robles while he was sleeping, according to TAC.

TAC said Alejandro Acosta III, one of the attorneys, cross-examined MVT’s national chief safety officer.

According to TAC, the executive said “you don’t need sleep to rest” because company policies didn’t specifically require drivers to sleep before driving a commercial vehicle.

The jury awarded $20 million in compensatory damages and $7.5 million in punitive damages to Robles’ son, TAC said.

“The verdict recognizes this tragedy should never have happened,” said Acosta, the attorney for Orlando’s son. “Professional truck drivers and trucking companies have a responsibility to keep fatigued drivers off the road. When that responsibility is ignored, families pay the price. While no verdict can bring back Orlando, today’s decision holds those responsible accountable.”

TAC represented Robles’ son, who was 7 years old when his father died. They intervened in the case on behalf through his mother. Other family members, including Robles’ wife, his estate, mother and daughters were represented separately.

This week will mark Robles’ son’s 13th birthday, according to TAC.

ABC-7 reached out to the lead attorney for comment.

A news conference with Glasheen, Valles and Inderman Injury Lawyers, which represented Robles’ spouse, will take place Thursday.

ABC-7 reached out to Mesilla Valley Transportation Wednesday. It told ABC-7 it has no comment, and will not comment further.

Friday, MVT sent ABC-7 the following statement:

“We want to take a moment to address the recent jury verdict concerning the tragic accident involving two of our drivers. Our hearts continue to go out to the families affected by this tragic accident. This loss has had a profound impact on all of us. While we respect the judicial process, we are evaluating our appellate options.”

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Andrew J. Polk

RUIDOSO, N.M. (KVIA) — It’s been two years since wildfires scorched areas surrounding the Village of Ruidoso high in the Sierra Blanca mountains. Just a year ago this week, heavy rains on those burned areas sent runoff rushing down the Rio Ruidoso — causing deadly flash flooding.

Three people died, including two children.

Flooding also caused tens of millions of dollars in damage.

ABC-7’s Andrew J. Polk went back to some of the hardest-hit areas and talked with community members — including Ruidoso’s mayor — and business owners about their recovery, and what it will take to build up Ruidoso’s resilience.

Tune in Thursday for ABC-7 at 5, 6, and 10 p.m. to hear from those impacted and what they hope happens next for the region.

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Gabrielle Lopez

UPDATE (July 17, 2026): The Office of the Medical Investigator identified the human remains as 74-year-old Henry Padilla, the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office said Friday.

The investigation into the case is ongoing. The sheriff’s office said it’s working with the medical investigator to identify the circumstances surrounding Padilla’s death.

Anyone with information that could help investigators can contact the sheriff’s office at 575-648-2341 and ask to speak with Detective Bryce Bailey, the sheriff’s office said.

RUIDOSO, N.M. (KVIA) — The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office said Wednesday it responded to a report of human remains found in Ruidoso Downs, New Mexico.

A crew cleaning trees and brush found the remains of what appeared to be a man in the “advanced stage of decomposition,” according to a Facebook post by the sheriff’s office. It happened in a heavily-wooded area near Pine Springs Road.

The remains went to the Office of the Medical Investigator for an autopsy to find the remains’ identity, cause and manner of death.

The sheriff’s office said it took primary jurisdiction of the matter and started investigating after the Ruidoso Downs Police Department asked it to.

Sheriff Michael Wood said anyone with information about the remains should call the sheriff’s office at 575-648-2341 and ask for Detective Bryce Bailey.

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