Category: kvia-local-news

Carpio Griego

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — In two years, the $70 million investment into Downtown El Paso that is La Nube has served over 360,000 guests, according to the discovery center’s officials. Saturday, visitors gathered to celebrate two years of discovery.

The event also celebrated winning the 2025 Hands On! International Children’s Museum Award — one of three U.S. children’s museums to do so, according to La Nube Chief Strategy Officer Mick Martinez.

Martinez said this doesn’t just celebrate La Nube but also the children of El Paso and the power of imagination.

“Community is at the heart of both our organizations, and this birthday is an opportunity to celebrate El Paso’s children, families, and the power of imagination,” Martinez said. “Over the past two years, we have seen how curiosity brings families together, builds confidence in children, and sparks a love of learning that reaches far beyond our walls.”

Bunny mascot Miffy also made an appearance to meet with Borderland families. Miffy has been making appearances at different museums, with the next scheduled for September.

ABC-7 spoke to one parent, Samantha Johnson, noted the educational impact La Nube brought to her son.

“I think it’s really important because he really needs it, especially when he’s getting ready to go on to school. He might learn something new he can tell his friends about,” Johnson said.

Johnson said La Nube appealed to her inner child as well.

“I’m just really excited to be here myself. I’m a big old kid too, and I want to play,” Johnson said.

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Armando Ramirez

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — Saturday, El Paso Live held Sun City Tiki, an event where organizers said that people could take a tropical escape in Downtown El Paso. the El Paso Convention Center.

The event was held at the El Paso Convention Center where the 21+ summer experience transformed the Convention Center into an island-inspired escape filled with tropical décor, tiki cocktails, live music, fire dancers, luau-style entertainment, and interactive experiences throughout the evening.

Guests enjoyed performances from Hiti Mahana, learned a few moves during hula lessons, explored immersive photo opportunities, and were able to purchase exclusive custom tiki mugs created for the event.

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Carpio Griego

CLINT, Texas (KVIA) – San Lorenzo Catholic Church continued its annual kermes Saturday. Celebrations raised funds for church activities through community support and local vendors.

One volunteer, Alexis Reyes, told ABC-7 the kermes puts a spotlight on the Clint community.

“It really brings more people to San Lorenzo. People come and they see how beautiful the church is and how kind the people are and then be like ‘I think I want to come to this church more often,” Reyes said.

That community spotlight Reyes pointed out extends to the people not working as staff for the day.

Greg Velez said it’s a time to reconnect with friends he hasn’t seen for a while, which is why he likes coming back for the event after growing up in Clint himself.

“I really like it, it brings the community together,” Velez said. “Sometimes you get friends that move out of town, and we all come back here and eventually we meet up once again.”

The kermes also opens space for small family businesses to grow. Deleyna Nerí, who helps run her family’s business, Dulcería Neri, said bringing sweets to the kermes visitors has been a huge opportunity.

“We barely started coming to this kermez last year, and honestly has been I feel like one of the best things we could have done because it has opened so many doors,” Neri said.

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Heriberto Perez Lara

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — U.S. Border Patrol El Paso Sector issued a warning last month to rideshare drivers about manipulation by transnational criminal organizations involved in human smuggling.

Popular rideshare platforms include Uber and Lyft.

Federal officials warned drivers who accept suspicious fares risk severe physical danger and federal felony charges, as they said smugglers frequently exploit legitimate mobile applications to insulate themselves from law enforcement detection.

Criminal networks often use third-party accounts to coordinate passenger pickups in secluded desert areas, along highway shoulders near the border wall or in commercial staging lots.

Border Patrol officials highlighted several key indicators of smuggling activity for drivers to monitor.

Red flags include:

Passengers wearing heavily soiled clothing

Groups attempting to exceed vehicle occupant limits

Rides booked through third-party account holders who are not present

Passengers who appear visibly stressed or unaware of their location

Drivers who accept suspicious fares face potential detention and investigation at highway checkpoints.

Under federal law, individuals found participating in these networks face felony charges for alien smuggling and harboring, along with the potential forfeiture of their vehicles and assets.

El Paso Sector Chief Patrol Agent Jesse D. Munoz previously emphasized the risks imposed on rideshare workers by criminal organizations.

“Cartel criminal smugglers recklessly endanger the lives of rideshare drivers and passengers alike, treating legitimate drivers as disposable tools for their smuggling operations,” Munoz said. “When these trips are intercepted, drivers face immediate detention and asset forfeiture while federal agents investigate their level of involvement in the smuggling network.”

To minimize physical and legal risks, Border Patrol advises drivers who encounter suspicious requests to cancel the trip immediately and move to a secure area. Drivers are encouraged to log their routes using in-app security tools and report concerns directly through their rideshare platform.

Suspicious activity or suspected human smuggling can be reported anonymously to the U.S. Border Patrol by calling one-800-635-2509. In emergencies, drivers should call 911 immediately.

ABC-7 reached out to Uber and Lyft, among other rideshare driver platforms, to learn how they work with their drivers to avoid any risks of being used for human smuggling attempts.

Watch the full story tonight in our evening newscasts.

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Max Zepeda

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — Monday morning, El Paso County commissioners started budget hearings for the 2026-27 fiscal year. The proposed budget could include a tax increase for El Pasoans.

Aug. 3, commissioners voted to use the voter-approved tax rate as a budget ceiling for the current proposal. That tax rate is $0.504717 per $100 of taxable value for tax year 2026.

In addition to the county’s voter-approved tax rate, the proposed rate consists of a maintenance and operations rate of $0.441718 and an interest and sinking rate of $0.062999 per $100 of taxable value.

Commissioners are considering a $542 million general fund budget for fiscal year 2027.

The commissioners court hasn’t adopted a property tax rate. In a news release, it said it may adopt a lower rate, which it has done before.

During the hearings, the commissioners court looked into proposed programs, services, projects and the effect of the budget and tax rate on taxpayers.

El Paso County Judge Ricardo Samaniego said, “If we got to a point that it was between increasing taxes and lowering the quality of public services, there’s no doubt that you would never put the community in any difficult situation because you’re trying not to increase taxes or you’re not trying to pass on the taxes to a constituent.”

The county is expecting to be over budget for the sheriff’s department this year, which could result in lower wages for other departments.

“We know how sensitive the community is about increasing taxes. So that’s going to be our ultimate goal is that that doesn’t happen,” Samaniego said. “We’re looking at everything possible to make sure that we don’t go out to the community and increase the taxes.”

ABC-7 reached out to Republican Minerva Sheldon’s campaign for comment on the budget hearings. She is running against Samaniego for El Paso County Court in the November election. Her campaign did not respond.

Public hearings for the budget will continue next week on Aug. 17 and later on Sept. 14.

The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office released a statement responding to the projected budget shortfall:

“In response to reports regarding the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office’s projected budget shortfall, I want to provide the people of El Paso County with information about what is driving it and what we are doing to address it.

First, this is a projected year-end shortfall, not the amount the Sheriff’s Office is currently over budget. It is based on current spending and estimated costs through September 30, and that number can change.

A significant part of the projection is related to overtime and staffing. The Sheriff’s Office operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, including two detention facilities that must be safely staffed around the clock while we continue providing law enforcement services throughout our areas of responsibility. When we do not have enough employees available to meet required staffing levels, overtime becomes necessary.

The reality is that providing effective public safety services requires substantial resources and carries significant costs. Operating detention facilities, putting deputies on our streets, investigating crimes, responding to emergencies, training our employees, and maintaining the equipment necessary to serve our community require significant resources. But every taxpayer dollar must also be justified and spent responsibly.

Since taking office, I have raised concerns about whether our authorized staffing levels reflect the actual needs of today’s Sheriff’s Office. That is why we are requesting a professional, independent staffing assessment of our detention and law enforcement operations. I want the data to tell us what we actually need—whether that means additional staffing or identifying areas where we can operate more efficiently.

We are also working closely with Commissioners Court, County Administration, and the County Budget Team to control expenses and reduce overtime wherever it can safely be reduced. But simply cutting overtime without addressing why it is necessary is not a long-term solution. I will not compromise the safety of our employees or our community simply to make a number on a spreadsheet look better.

I care deeply about the men and women of this Sheriff’s Office. Since taking office, we have reduced vacancies, improved retention, and worked to strengthen employee morale by showing our employees that they are valued and supported. Taking care of our employees is not separate from taking care of our community—it directly impacts the quality of public safety services we provide.

And we are seeing results. During my first year as Sheriff, crime in our areas of responsibility decreased by 14 percent. I am proud of that accomplishment, but the credit belongs to the men and women who serve this community every day. That progress came through hard work, accountability, supporting our employees, and keeping our focus on public safety.

As Sheriff, I accept responsibility for the decisions made within this organization, and I take our responsibility to taxpayers seriously. We will continue looking for efficiencies, controlling expenses, and making responsible decisions while advocating for the staffing, equipment, training, and resources our employees need to safely do their jobs.

We must protect our community. We must support the men and women who serve it. And we must be responsible with taxpayer dollars. 

El Paso County is our home. I am proud of our employees, proud of the progress we have made, and committed to being transparent with our community as we work together toward responsible, long-term solutions.”

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Gabrielle Lopez

CLINT, Texas (KVIA) — An allegedly intoxicated driver hit two pedestrians during a church bazaar in Clint, Texas, Saturday, according to the El Paso County Constable’s Office for Precinct Six.

According to a news release, a Precinct Six Constable did a routine patrol at the 600 block of Avenida de San Lorenzo Ave. when someone flagged them down to report that a car hit and possibly injured a person. It happened at 11:23 p.m.

The constable found the crash at the intersection of Church Street and Garcia Street. The constable learned a black GMC Sierra truck hit two people while they crossed the street leaving the San Lorenzo Church Bazaar Festival.

An investigation by the Precinct Six and Four Constables Office found that 20-year-old Emmanuel Meza Rabelo from Fabens allegedly drove the GMC the wrong way on a one-way street.

Meza Rabelo allegedly didn’t see the two crossing Church Street and hit them, the constable’s office said.

The two victims sustained minor injuries, and the Clint Fire Department and Life Ambulance treated him, officials said. A 60-year-old woman asked to go to a hospital for her injuries.

Authorities said the driver showed signs of intoxication and asked him to submit a field sobriety test., which he failed.

Authorities took him into custody and sent him to a station to provide a breath sample. The constable’s office said his alcohol concentration was above the 0.08 legal limit.

The Precinct Six Constable’s Office secured an arrest warrant for Meza Rabelo for driving while intoxicated. Authorities booked him into the El Paso County Detention Facility on the charge with a $10,000 bond.

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Gabrielle Lopez

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) – Monday, Texas Governor Greg Abbott said Meta will comply with his standards and guidelines for data centers. Meta has a data center planned for Northeast El Paso.

“Meta commends Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s leadership and welcomes his continued efforts to protect ratepayers, conserve water, and promote responsible data center development in Texas,” Meta said in a press release.

Gov. Abbott directed the Public Utilities Commission of Texas (PUCT) and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) to make sure data centers costs don’t fall on Texas residents.

The governor’s guidelines ask PUCT and ERCOT to make sure data centers pay for their own electricity, reuse their own water, reduce electricity costs, don’t disrupt neighborhoods and pay their own way and eliminate reliance on taxpayer-funded incentives. Data centers also have to disclose project ownership and controlling interests.

An El Paso Electric spokesperson says, “El Paso Electric believes that new large load customers, including data centers, should pay the costs required to serve their power needs. Existing residential and small-business customers should not and will not be asked to cover those costs.”

They say existing agreements between El Paso Electric and potential new big customers require those customers to pay the costs associated with serving their projects.

An El Paso Water spokesperson says, “EPWater established clear water use requirements for the Meta facility, and Meta agreed to meet those terms in 2023. Those requirements reflect EPWater’s commitment to ensure the community has the water resources needed to grow while safeguarding the long-term water security and sustainability for residents and businesses.”

The Public Utility Commission of Texas and the Electric Reliability Council of Texas are tasked with reviewing and auditing all submitted information before any project can proceed. Companies that fail to comply with ERCOT’s audit process face denial of their project approvals.

Meta said it will pay energy and water costs and publish detailed information on its annual sustainability report about its energy and water use.

Additionally, Meta introduced its “Future is for Everyone Fund,” which will invest in teachers, first responders and energy and water infrastructure through customized programs shaped by needs in Texas and the country.

Since Gov. Abbott issued his directives, developer Diode said it failed to meet the standards and discontinued its proposed data center near Dallas. Amazon, Google, OpenAI and QTS Data Centers said they’re working to comply with the directives, according to the governor.

“We support Governor Abbott’s efforts to conduct a comprehensive review of data center growth in Texas and look forward to being a collaborative partner with state and industry officials, utilities, and local communities. For Meta, we don’t just build here, we invest here. And thousands of Meta employees are proud to call Texas home,” Meta said.

Democratic Texas Representative Gina Hinojosa criticizes Gov. Abbott’s data center plan, saying Texas needs a moratorium on data centers.

“We need a moratorium on data centers until the legislature can meet to put in place real protections so Texans can have a seat at the table to decide if and how data centers come into their communities. When the companies being regulated are cheering for the rules, you know the rules were written for them, not for Texans,” Rep. Hinojosa said.

Rep. Hinojosa is running for Governor of Texas in the 2026 general election against incumbent Republican Governor Greg Abbott.

A City Spokesperson says Gov. Abbott’s announcement reinforce protections the city has already advocated for. However, the City’s existing agreement with Wurldwide remains in effect and has not been amended.

“If the Public Utility Commission of Texas adopts binding requirements that apply to the El Paso project, the project would be required to comply with those requirements through the applicable state regulatory process,” a City Spokesperson said.

Community advocate Veronica Carbajal says she’s concerned without a legally binding document, El Pasoans are at risk.

“That’s really what we’re talking about, is making sure that whatever they’re saying is written and is legally binding, so that we can take it to court when, if and when they break their promise. But right now, it looks like they’re consistently breaking verbal promises,” Carbajal said.

Carbajal said she’s also concerned about the cost of the generators for the proposed McCloud natural gas power plant.

“Meta’s intention is to pay for those generators for up to five years. That’s a maximum of five years. And then they will be transferred to El Pasoans so that once they are transferred to us, we will inherit the balance on the loan for those 800 generators and also the transmission lines to get them connected to, to our homes,” Carbajal said.

El Paso Electric contends there is no automatic process that would shift those costs to residential customers.

District 2 City Rep. Josh Acevedo says he wants more clarification on how these rules apply to El Paso, considering it’s not a part of the ERCOT.

“I think that we really need to include El Paso for once. And the releases that the Governor has put out since June 10th to today, he keeps referencing ERCOT. And here locally, Paso Electric is operating in the sense that we’re included in that. But we’re not part of ERCOT, right? And so we need more clarification on what he’s putting out there. And at the same time, we have three metadata centers in in Texas, we have temple, we have Fort Worth, and we have El Paso now. And so what are we actually going to do besides rhetoric real action?” Acevedo said.

The PUC still has to determine what requirements will apply to large data centers not on the Texas grid, which El Paso is not connected to.

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Gabrielle Lopez

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — Friday, the Department of War announced more than $180 million has been invested into schools of mines and metallurgy. President Trump also led a press conference explaining the investment. The University of Texas at El Paso will get part of that grant, according to the school’s president, Heather Wilson.

“We’re putting our miners back to work and we’re reclaiming America’s rightful place as the minerals superpower of the world, which is what we are. People just didn’t know that for a while,” the president said.

The money will help build technology innovation hubs, project-focused partnerships between students and defense industry, prototypes and certifying students with degrees in mining, geology and metallurgy, the DOW said.

According to the DOW, resources are provided through the Office of the Under Secretary for Acquisition and Sustainment.

University of Texas at El Paso President Heather Wilson attended a press conference in Washington Friday as President Donald Trump spoke about the investment.

Wilson said there are only 14 mining schools left in the U.S. Upon UTEP’s mining engineering program launch in 2027, UTEP will be the 15th.

“It’ll be the only mining engineering school in Texas, but it will be making a significant contribution to the nation,” Wilson said.

Wilson said the goal is to graduate 100 about students from UTEP with mining engineering each year. she said last year, less than 200 graduated with the degree in the entire country.

The DOW listed proposals of where the investment will go:

$32.7 million (proposed) to the Colorado School of Mines for a Critical Minerals Innovation & Commercialization Hub to enable pilot-scale tech development, materials qualification and workforce-industry integration.

$25 million (proposed) to the South Dakota School of Mines for Critical Minerals Merit Scholars Consortium establishing four integrated workforce development programs across three leading mineral-STEM institutions (South Dakota School of Mines, University of Kentucky and Missouri S&T University).  

$23.6 million (proposed) to Johns Hopkins University founding a multi-material recycling innovation hub connecting an emerging technology developer (AGILEWorks) for scrap sourcing, process innovation, testing, qualification and integration into existing defense platforms

The investment is part of President Trump and the DOW’s commitment to solidify the country’s role as a global leader in mineral production and processing.

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Gabrielle Lopez

LAS CRUCES, N.M. (KVIA) — A multi-agency gang investigation in Las Cruces led to federal charges and the seizure of firearms and narcotics, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico said Friday.

Federal, state and Las Cruces law enforcement officers finished a months-long investigation targeting gang activity in the city.

During the investigation, officers executed 58 legal processes, which included search warrants, arrest warrants and court orders, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

Authorities seized 19 firearms, three machine gun devices, two sets of body armor, 265 grams of methamphetamine and 200 grams of fentanyl, officials said.

A workbench with various disassembled firearm parts, magazines, and a tactical vest arranged on the surface.(Courtesy: USANM)

A small plastic bag of blue pills sits on a digital scale showing a weight of 18.6 grams.(Courtesy: USANM)

Several small plastic bags containing a white crystalline substance are placed on a digital scale reading 26.5 grams.(Courtesy: USANM)

The investigation also led investigators to solve 11 drive-by shootings in the Las Cruces area, officials said.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office said it charged six people with federal offenses in the investigation. The cases included:

Possession of a Firearm in a School Zone

Discharging a Firearm in a School Zone

Possession of a Firearm with an Obliterated Serial Number

Receiving a Firearm While Under Indictment

Possession of a Firearm by a Felon

Possession of Body Armor by a Violent Felon

Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine

Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl

Others were charged in state court, officials said. Those offenses included:

Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon

Aggravated Battery with a Deadly Weapon

Shooting At or From a Motor Vehicle (multiple counts)

Unlawful Possession of a Handgun by a Person Under Age 19 (multiple counts)

Possession of Cocaine

The Las Cruces Police Department’s Street Crimes Unit led the investigation, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. The Las Cruces/Doña Ana Metro Narcotics Agency, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Safe Streets Task Force and the Doña Ana County Sheriff’s Office partnered with LCPD.

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Gabrielle Lopez

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — A 36-year-old man has been charged with sexual assault of a child after his teenage step-daughter alleged he sexually assaulted her for years, according to an arrest affidavit. Documents from the El Paso Police department alleged Adam Salvador Martinez committed the offense from February 2024 to June 2026.

The El Paso Police Department’s Crimes Against Children section learned from the victim’s mother that Martinez allegedly started sexually assaulting her when she was 13 years old, documents said.

The victim, now 17, and her mother went to the Advocacy Center for the Children of El Paso.

Investigators interviewed the victim, and she said she had a “romantic, sexual relationship” with Martinez, documents said. She also told investigators she had more than 100 sexual encounters with him.

The victim alleged some of the encounters happened while the victim’s mother or another minor were home, documents said.

Documents alleged Martinez “put her on birth control but she stopped taking it.” The victim also alleged Martinez would tell her “they are not technically related so it was fine.”

The victim told investigators she later felt uncomfortable and wanted to stop, documents said. She alleged Martinez would ignore her when she told him she didn’t want to engage in sexual encounters.

According to documents, the victim said their last encounter happened two weeks before she left the state to visit her father in June.

Detectives met with the victim’s mother, who said Martinez took the victim to get birth control, documents said.

The mother also reportedly confronted him about the victim’s outcry about the alleged sexual assault, investigators wrote. When she asked him when it started, Martinez allegedly said “since she was 13,” according to the affidavit.

Martinez allegedly blamed the victim and said she initiated it, documents said.

According to jail records, El Paso police arrested and booked Martinez into the downtown jail on a $150,000 bond.

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