Category: kvia-local-news

Gabrielle Lopez

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — The 11th El Paso Giving Day broke a record, according to the Paso del Norte Community Foundation.

Friday, PdNCF said on Oct. 15, El Paso raised $7,276,340 in support of 309 participating local nonprofits.

During the campaign, PdNCF recorded 13,167 donations made to organizations specializing in a wide range of causes, including education, health, arts, hunger relief and more.

“This year’s record-breaking El Paso Giving Day is a testament to the generosity and commitment of our community,” Kellie Burns-Franco, PdNCF’s Director of Engagement, said. “Now in our 11th year, we continue to see giving grow year after year, reflecting the incredible support for the nonprofits that make a difference in our region.”

El Paso Giving Day started in 2016. PdNCF said the day is one of the largest fundraising opportunities.

Larger companies made large donations on Giving Day, according to PdNCF. Meta provided $2.3 million in matching funds to “amplify the impact of community giving.” Marathon Petroleum Corporation and the Shiloff Family Foundation contributed $537,000 in matching funds.

To close out the celebration, nonprofits, donors and community partners gathered for an El Paso Giving Day After Party inspired by a Lucha Libre theme.

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Heriberto Perez Lara

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials gathered Friday at the Bridge of the Americas to announce end-of-fiscal-year border security statistics.

CBP, Border Patrol and CBP AMO officials highlighted an increase in drug and weapon interdictions alongside a sharp decrease in illegal border crossings across the El Paso Sector.

Ray Provencio, CBP El Paso Field Office director, discussed increased narcotics seizures at official border crossings over the past year. Provencio attributed the increase to officer inspections, nonintrusive inspection technology, low-energy portals, and specialized canine teams. Officers also conducted southbound inspections to stop illicit weapons, ammunition and currency heading into Mexico.

“Our U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers are seizing two to three times more narcotics in some categories during inspections this fiscal year when compared to last year. Our CBP officers are also conducting southbound inspections to interdict illicit currency from narcotics sales, firearms and ammunition to deny the Mexican drug cartels arms and revenue,” Director Provencio said.

“Mexican cartels operating south of the border in our region have been declared Foreign Terrorist Organizations and anyone aiding or working for them can now be charged with material support for a terrorist organization (18 U.S. Code § 2339),” Provencio added. “Along with our other CBP components, the Homeland Security Joint Task Force and our Department of Justice partners, we are taking a whole-of-government approach to dismantle the illegal activities of these drug cartels and other criminal organizations.”

Jesse Muñoz, U.S. Border Patrol chief patrol agent for the El Paso Sector, reported that stricter enforcement of Title Eight immigration laws, additional manpower and expanded border infrastructure contributed to a drop in illegal border crossings.

Manpower in the sector has included Border Patrol agents and Department of War military personnel, while infrastructure additions include new border barriers and surveillance technology. El Paso Sector recorded fewer than 20,000 apprehensions in Fiscal Year 2026, compared with more than 420,000 in Fiscal Year 2023.

“In Fiscal Year 2023, El Paso Sector was seeing 2,700 encounters per day. Today the Sector is averaging less than 50 encounters per day,” Munoz said. “Our known got-away numbers are down to single digits. We have not released any illegal aliens into the interior of the country in the last 17 months. We are seeing the most secure border in the history of our nation.”

Munoz noted that Border Patrol agents rely on a multilayered enforcement strategy. That strategy deploys agents directly along the border, uses anti-smuggling units to disrupt human smuggling networks and maintains interior checkpoints to prevent illicit narcotics and unauthorized movement further into the United States.

Efren Gonzalez, CBP Air and Marine Operations El Paso director, detailed the role of air support in joint operations, humanitarian rescues and border security.

During Fiscal Year 2026, personnel with the El Paso Air Branch supported operations that resulted in more than 2,000 apprehensions, 10 arrests and nine rescues. The branch also increased its total narcotics seizures by more than 700% during the fiscal year.

“El Paso Air Branch increased total narcotics seizures by more than 700% in Fiscal Year 2026, delivering a significant blow to transnational criminal organizations,” Gonzalez said. “With the Homeland Security Task Force’s support, we are bringing together the full capabilities of our federal, state, local, tribal and international partners to find cartels, disrupt their operations, seize their drugs and illicit proceeds and deny them the ability to profit from criminal activity that threatens American communities.”

“The operations were carried out under the direction of President Donald J. Trump and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, alongside the Homeland Security Joint Task Force and Department of Justice partners,” said CBP El Paso Field Office.

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Gabrielle Lopez

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — Cesar Chavez Academy of the Ysleta Independent School District will be renamed “The Academy.” Wednesday, YISD board members voted 6-1 for the name change.

Board member Shane Haggerty was the only member to vote against the change.

“I understand why we are changing the name of our school, but renaming the campus to The Academy doesn’t honor anyone. My opinion, it erases the community. Our district serves numerous families who have deep Mexican-American roots, and there is no shortage of people with that same heritage that are worth putting on our building,” Haggerty said.

Haggerty mentioned three people whose names could be added to the school: Silvia Mendez, Pat Mora and Lauro Cavazos.

Haggerty said Mendez was a student at the center of Mendez v. Westminster (1947), which was the case that ruled forced segregation of Mexican American students into separate schools as unconstitutional.

Mora is an El Paso-born poet. Haggerty mentioned she started the Dia de los Libros program and received numerous honorary doctorates.

Lastly, Cavazos was president of Texas Tech, the first Hispanic cabinet member who was also the Secretary of Education.

The talk of renaming the school comes after recent sexual abuse allegations about labor rights activist Cesar Chavez came out in March.

Initially, YISD said it couldn’t rename an existing facility unless its “educational function or support activity is changed and/or redirected,” per its policy. In April, the board voted 5-1 to change its renaming policy. Haggerty opposed the vote, while Board Secretary Connie Woodruff was absent.

In Wednesday’s meeting, Board President Carlos Bustillos said he met with his community who are on board for renaming the school “The Academy.”

In April, Las Cruces Public Schools voted to rename one of its elementary schools after Chavez. It has since been renamed Desert Bloom Elementary School.

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Gabrielle Lopez

ANTHONY, Texas (KVIA) — A water main strike led to a leak and outage in Anthony, Texas, Thursday, according to a town spokesperson.

The Town of Anthony said at 4:15 p.m., a contractor, Gigabyte, struck a town water main while excavating. The strike led to a water leak reported from an OXXO gas station.

By 4:30 p.m., crews had arrived to isolate the leak. The town said crews closed valves, but water kept flowing to the damaged section of the line.

Crews learned a storage tank supplied water to the affected area. They took the tank offline to start repairs. As a result, part of the town didn’t have water service, officials said.

Crews finished repairs by 6 a.m., and water restored by 8 a.m. Friday, officials said.

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Rosemary Garcia

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA)— Animals waiting for their forever homes at animal shelters are getting extra love, attention and medical care. Pima Medical Institute has partnered with local animal shelters, including the Humane Society of El Paso, to provide vital medical care.

“They take care of our animals while they have them here. And they spoil them a lot. They come back very happy,” said Natalie Peters, a veterinarian at the Humane Society of El Paso.

As part of their training, the next generation of veterinary professionals provide animals with medical care and assist with adoptions. Pima Medical Institute called the partnership a mutual benefit since students are also helping address the ongoing vet shortage and assist shelters that are dealing with overcapacity issues.

“We get to help treat those pets. They assist us not only with bringing animals to our school so that we can, you know, practice some skills on them, learn how to, you know, just observe them. But also they work with our students in clinical externships. They provide a lot of resources for us and our students. They are a big component of our program,” said Lorraine Chavez, director of clinical education for the vet tech program at Pima Medical Institute.

School representatives told ABC-7 that students receive real experience before they graduate.

Student Nayeli Hernandez said it was wonderful seeing the animals flourish.

“Sometimes they come in shy, and during their time here, they come out of their shell. It’s been an amazing experience having to be with these animals, not only because they help us with our skills, but we get to help them.”

Pima Medical Institute representative said the program spans 22 months and students receive an associate’s degree when they graduate. Students appreciate the opportunity to handle animals and learn how to care for them while advancing their medical training.

“I’ve learned to carry myself more appropriately and learn how to work with these fellows,” said another student.

If you have a Good Vibes Only story idea, please e-mail rosemary.garcia@kvia.com.

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Gabrielle Lopez

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation visited the University of Texas at El Paso to discuss national efforts to “shore up” the mineral workforce.

The DOE’s visit highlighted UTEP’s relaunch of its Mining Engineering program, which is now the only one of its kind in Texas.

UTEP is expected to graduate up to 100 mining engineers annually, according to the DOE.

Assistant Secretary of Energy Audrey Robertson visited UTEP as part of her engagement with universities following the DOE’s launch of the $100 million PROSPECT initiative.

PROSPECT aims to double the nation’s graduates in mining engineering, metallurgy and critical minerals supply chain fields over the next two years, the department said.

“The ability to harvest those resources and turn them into the materials we need for our modern way of life to function has left the country. The last 30 years, we’ve deindustrialized,” Robertson said. “We’re trying to change that if we’re going to reindustrialize as a nation, we have to have the materials here to do that.”

Robertson said UTEP is one of just 14 schools offering mining engineering and supply chain degrees.

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Max Zepeda

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — The chairman of the El Paso County Republican Party, Michael Aboud, appears in a new comedy film releasing nationwide Friday.

Aboud will appear in “Ali G: Who Iz I,” written and directed by actor Sacha Baron Cohen. Cohen is known for playing the fictional character Borat and Ali G.

Cohen also made his name known for his satirical comedies in which he uses real people in his “mock-umentaries” with people not knowing what the footage will be used for.

In the film’s trailer, Aboud is seen in a fictional training program with Cohen’s character.

According to a report released by the Guardian Thursday, Cohen’s character recruits Aboud to help in a mission to prevent a fictional South American drug kingpin’s baby from being born in the U.S.

The Guardian said Aboud drops the baby to the ground from a drone at a substantial height to prevent it from touching U.S. soil.

The baby was a lifelike prosthetic.

The Guardian said the film emphasizes that Aboud was not in on the fact that the movie would be a comedy. The Guardian said Aboud didn’t know about his participation in anything other than what he believed to be a non-fiction film.

In a phone call, Aboud told ABC-7 he wasn’t “an active participant” and didn’t “give his signature to anyone” before filming started.

ABC-7 reached out to Aboud for an interview to discuss his reaction to being involved in the film. ABC-7 also reached out to the Republican Party of Texas for comment.

The film is being released worldwide for one weekend only starting this Friday by Amazon MGM Studios.

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Gabrielle Lopez

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — A former El Paso County firefighter was arrested and charged with two counts of child sexual assault and one count of indecency with a child/sexual contact, according to documents ABC-7 obtained.

23-year-old Andrew Michael Martinez Jr. is accused of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl, investigators wrote in arrest affidavits.

The El Paso County Emergency Services District No. 2 confirmed with ABC-7 that it employed Martinez. ESD #2 said he no longer works there as of Thursday.

Andrew Michael Martinez’ mugshot.(Courtesy: EPCSO)

According to documents, in September, the teenage victim’s brother told Horizon City police about the alleged assault. He alleged that Martinez had sexual intercourse with his sister multiple times.

Officers then spoke to the victim, who said she met Martinez on Instagram when she was 14 years old. While they spoke online, they shared personal information. Documents said Martinez told the victim he was a 19-year-old firefighter.

On Sept. 27, officers met with Martinez for questioning. Martinez allegedly said he believed the victim was 18 years old and they started dating in August.

Documents said Martinez later told the victim he was actually 23. The victim told officers she told Martinez she was 16 instead of 14.

Martinez denied engaging in sexual activity with the victim and denied knowing the victim was under the age of 18 when they exchanged nude photos, documents said.

According to documents, the victim said Martinez tried to touch her in a “weird way” at her home in May. She told officers she felt scared and told Martinez to stop, according to investigators.

In June, the victim alleged Martinez sexually assaulted her after their first date. Documents said the two went to see the horror movie “Obsession.” During a graphic sexual scene, Martinez allegedly told the victim, “We’re doing that tonight.”

The victim told investigators she felt uncomfortable, documents said.

After the movie, Martinez drove the victim to his home in Socorro. He allegedly took her to his room and started touching her body. Documents said the victim became afraid he would force her to do something.

Martinez allegedly had sexual intercourse with the victim until she started crying.

The victim took an Uber back to her home, according to documents. She allegedly told her mother she visited a friend’s.

Officers later found a picture in Martinez’ of a movie ticket for “Obsession” with the same date the victim mentioned, according to documents.

In September, Martinez allegedly planned a date to celebrate the victim’s birthday at Bassett Place. The victim said she took an Uber to his home before they went to the shopping center, investigators wrote.

Documents said Martinez gave the victim a birthday gift. He allegedly sexually assaulted her after.

At Bassett, Martinez and the victim ran into one of the victim’s relatives, according to documents. Minutes later, the victim’s mother called and demanded she return home.

Martinez drove the victim home and told her to say “he was the older brother of a female friend, and that he was merely giving her a ride home,” documents said.

He allegedly said his career as a firefighter was ruined.

The victim’s mother confronted Martinez at the home and told him she was 15 years old, investigators wrote.

Investigators said they found a picture on Martinez’ phone of the victim with her birthday gift the same day they went to Bassett.

ESD #2 sent ABC-7 the following statement on Martinez’ employment:

“El Paso County Emergency Services District No. 2 (ESD #2) is aware of the situation involving employee Andrew Martinez Jr.

Public safety and the integrity of our department remain our highest priorities. Effective immediately, Mr. Martinez has been placed on unpaid administrative leave. ESD #2 is fully cooperating with law enforcement agencies as they conduct their ongoing investigation. We hope that any of the people affected are safe and with their families.  

Because this involves an active law enforcement and personnel matter, ESD #2 cannot provide further comment at this time.

As of today, Mr. Martinez is no longer employed by El Paso County E.S.D.#2.”

Jail records said the Horizon City Police Department arrested and booked Martinez into the Downtown El Paso Jail on Wednesday. As of Thursday, he is still in jail on a $100,000 bond.

Martinez’ two child sexual assault charges each had a $40,000 bond. His indecency with a child charge had a $20,000 bond.

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Gabrielle Lopez

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — Texas Governor Greg Abbott scheduled a campaign stop in El Paso just before Election Day. He’ll host a “Get-Out-the-Vote” event in Upper Valley El Paso next Thursday.

Gov. Abbott is running for re-election against Democratic candidate Gina Hinojosa.

According to an event flyer, Gov. Abbott will be at Rosa’s Cantina on Oct. 29 at 3 p.m. Rosa’s Cantina is located at 3454 Doniphan Dr.

The event website said it’s free to attend and will have food.

If you wish to attend the event, reserve a spot using this link.

Find ABC-7’s voter resources, guides and candidate interviews here.

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Gabrielle Lopez

CANUTILLO, Texas (KVIA) — Every kitchen serving the Canutillo Independent School District claims to have the best pozole recipe. Thursday, those 10 CISD kitchens put their dishes to the test at the district’s Pozole Cook Off.

CISD kitchens each made a batch of their best pozole to enter the contest. Judges chose a winner based on taste, aroma, texture and appearance.

A Canutillo ISD police officer fills out a score sheet for the 2026 Pozole Cook Off organized by the district.(Courtesy: KVIA)

The kitchens competed for the 2026 CISD Pozole Champion title. All participants had a chance to earn the vote for a special Fan Favorite Award.

Joey Vasquez’ team from Deanna Davenport Elementary School claimed victory at Canutillo High School.

“We won because we put love and affection into our pozole,” Vasquez said. “It’s something that we serve to our kiddos, and we want it to taste just like what they’re used to: abuelita’s pozole.”

Joey Vasquez from Deanna Davenport Elementary School’s kitchen earned the 2026 Pozole Cook Off at Canutillo High School.(Courtesy: KVIA) Vasquez serves a cup of his kitchen’s award-winning pozole.(Courtesy: KVIA)

Canutillo Elementary School won the Fan Favorite Award.

Marco Macias, a child nutrition director, said the competition used to focus on menudo recipes. He said all the CISD kitchens added their own special touch to their dish.

“Some of them made it with green chili, some of them with red chili, and then the spices, of course,” Macias said. “But at the end of the day, they’re all good.”

Macias said the district organized the competition to encourage children to eat foods special to the Canutillo region. Pozole rotates on the district’s cafeteria menu every several weeks.

“We’re a border community, so we try to do plates that are cultural, like in this case, pozole, menudo, pastor, flautas. Why? Because we want our kids to eat,” he said.

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