Category: kvia-local-news

Nichole Gomez

El Paso, TX (KVIA-TV)-Basketball in the Barrio is excited to announce its 34th camp season in El Paso. The camp will take place at the Armijo Center, 700 East Seventh Avenue, from June 19 to 21, running daily from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. It welcomes girls and boys ages 6 to 10 from the Segundo Barrio and Chamizal neighborhoods.

The camp celebrates border culture and community pride. Between basketball skill sessions, campers will enjoy performances from musicians, storytellers, dancers, and artists. For only $1, each child receives a t-shirt, a basketball, a bilingual children’s book, a musical instrument, and a free lunch.

This year’s special guest is Shawn Harrington from Chicago, who played point guard for New Mexico State University during the 1995–1996 season.

Previous camp guests have included NBA star Greg Foster, boxing champion Juan Lazcano, Coach Nolan Richardson, NFLPA director David Meggyesy, Olympian John Carlos, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, and poet Benjamin Saenz.

A generous grant from Household Furniture makes Basketball in the Barrio possible. For just $1, every camper gets instruction, lunch, a basketball, a T-shirt, a peace poster, and a bilingual children’s book.

Steve Yellen and Rus Bradburd founded the camp and have worked together every summer since.

For more information, contact Steve Yellen at 915-300-5970 or Rus Bradburd at rus.bradburd@gmail.com. You can also reach out to camp publicist Liz Bellegarde at 915-731-5139 with any questions. https://basketballinthebarrio.org/

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Heriberto Perez Lara

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — According to ABC News, the Trump administration is launching a review of all 53 Mexican consulates in the country, a move that, according to national news reports, could lead to the closure of some of them.

The ABC News report says a State Department official told them about the reviews on Thursday.

No reason has been given so far for the reviews or what they could entail.

The report also states that this State Department official was not authorized to comment publicly and wanted to remain anonymous until an official release is published.

Today, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum spoke about this during her daily news conference and emphasized the importance of having Mexican consulates in the U.S.

ABC-7 reached out to the Mexican General Consulate in El Paso (Consulado General De México en El Paso) for comment and also spoke with residents going to the consulate for their official procedures to learn more about this review from the State Department.

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Rosemary Garcia

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA)—Three Tierra Del Sol Elementary School students returned to El Paso with unforgettable memories following a robotics competition. The Borderland students visited St. Louis, Missouri, as part of the 2026 VEX Robotics World Championship.

The event took place the last week of April. It featured thousands of teams from over 50 countries, playing in over 1,300 tournaments, according to Vex Robotics.

The Tierra Del Sol Cyber Knights made it to the world competition after advancing through local and regional competitions.

Coach Patty Hernandez told ABC-7 that this year’s robotics team at Tierra Del Sol accomplished something that had never been done before in the school’s history. She said that although previous teams had come close, this was the first time students at Tierra Del Sol advanced to the world championship.

“We’ve been working really hard. Every group I get, we’ve gotten so close, and this time we finally did it!”

ABC-7 spoke with the Cyber Knights before their big trip to Missouri. Each one was meticulously preparing and creating new strategies. The after-school team was tasked with building a robot and perfecting their game plan.

Caleb Aranda, a fifth grader at Tierra Del Sol, said it was a rewarding moment when they learned they had made it to the world championship.

I completed a dream,” Caleb said with a smile on his face.

The trio explained they were feeling anxious but overall eager to take part in this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. They were excited to meet new people from other cultures and backgrounds and explore the city of St. Louis.

“It felt really good because I’ve been wanting to go to worlds a lot, so I was just really happy,” Caleb said.

“My first time. Very exciting side to me. Like new cultures and people’s. Also, it’s gonna be a fun experience. And also, I’m glad to, like, see, like, the arch and, like, new restaurants that I haven’t seen yet,” another robotics student, Omar Teran, explained.

Coach Hernandez said each student brings something valuable to the group. She described Omar as hardworking, Caleb as outgoing, and Mari as dedicated and the calming voice of the group.

Mari is the only female in this group. She said she enjoys working as a team and appreciates the skills she has learned in robotics. She was anxious to be traveling to Missouri without her parents but was excited to experience something new!

In Missouri, the Cyber Knights participated in different tournaments. They Cyber Knights teamed up with other students from other regions, including Shanghai, Hong Kong, North Dakota, Colorado, and many more.

While the team did not place, their instructor still described it as an amazing experience!

“We’re very proud to be there and excited because you are representing El Paso, you know, and the small city here in Texas, and we’re out there representing them, so it’s exciting for us,” Hernandez said.

The students said they look forward to learning more about robotics in the future.

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Heriberto Perez Lara

SAN ELIZARIO, Texas (KVIA) — The City of San Elizario held its council meeting on Tuesday and unanimously approved the following two items:

“14. Discussion and Action: Regarding a Resolution supporting Emergency Services District #2 decision to protect our health and resources and to limit or deny permits to detention facilities that would create mass strain on personnel or resources.”

“15. Discussion and Action: Regarding approving a Resolution supporting Lower Valley Water District denial of services to the proposed Department of Homeland Security proposed detention facility.”

Both items were proposed by San Elizario Alderperson Place 5 Thomas Black.

ABC-7 spoke with the Mayor of San Elizario, Miguel Chacon, who said the council anonymously passed those two items because they wanted to join efforts with the cities of Socorro, El Paso, and the County of El Paso to raise their voices to the federal government over future detention facilities.

San Elizario Mayor Chacon says he supports this item for the following reasons:

The resources these detention centers are going to be taking from the region

The proposed new facility in Socorro, Texas, is set to be opened in warehouses not designed to accommodate a detention center.

The water resources that it will need.

“We live in a desert, so right now we are going through one of our worst dry seasons ever recorded and I believe it’s time for the city of San Elizario to fight for the water, not just for the water from our city, but for the region; so those are the main reasons why we are opposed to these detention centers from opening here,” Mayor Chacon said. “We hear, we see what is happening at other detention centers across the nation, and we know there’s a violation of human rights; we have women, we have children detained in these facilities, and this is not what the City of San Elizario represents.”

“The City of San Elizario, not just us, but the County of El Paso, is built by immigrants; we are a welcoming immigrant community, so we need to be with them and support this because there’s a lot of violation of human rights in these detention centers, and we cannot afford to continue supporting this from happening,” Mayor Chacon added.

For the City of San Elizario and Mayor Chacon, it feels great to find a common ground in something and have the support from former Mayors, from other cities, and from other organizations that have also raised their voices against ICE facilities. “It feels great to find common ground and to unify the community against something that is happening across the nation.”

ABC-7 also spoke with Fire Chief and Marshal of El Paso County Emergency Services District #2, Roger Esparza, whose district covers every city in the county, but El Paso and Horizon cities.

Chief Esparza says they have evaluated how many emergency calls they are planning to have at the detention center in Socorro, since it is unknown for now, but the ambulance thing is a concern for them, since his department does not manage them; it’s managed through the county.

“When you look at manufacturing warehouses, it’s very few people; they’re manufacturing, you’re not living there, you’re not showering there, you’re not using that, you can have a couple of hundred people working there, and it’s very minimal water usage,” Chief Esparza said. “Versus now that they’re looking to have 8,000 or 9,000 people living there per se, and showering, restroom usage, everything that goes with somebody being detained.”

ESD #2 has discussed with the Lower Valley Water District before this new detention center was announced, and the problems the area was having with some of the hydrants, as the utility has been trying to resolve some of those issues, according to Chief Esparza.

“Now this is going to possibly hinder, I don’t know how they’re going to handle, that’s on their side, on the water side, but I think it’s going to be a burden for us as the fire department,” Chief Esparza said. “I did have a meeting with the ICE people here locally, and they were half and half receptive, or maybe not receptive, they may come to us, but you know, they’re the federal government, they think they can do whatever it is they want, right?”

ABC-7 also reached out to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for comment and for interviews.

A spokesperson with DHS sent us the following written statement they have previously sent to us for other stories relating to the ICE detention center in Socorro:

“As with any transition, we are reviewing agency policies and proposals. As Secretary Mullin said in his confirmation hearing: ‘I will work with the community leaders and make sure that we are delivering for the American people what the President set out… We want to work with community leaders. We want to be good partners.’”

San Elizario Chacon also raised concerns over the fact that if something happens at the detention center, ESD #2 will have to cover it, not the federal government, and local taxpayers will eventually have to pay for that.

“As an immigrant myself, it makes me feel great that I represent a city where the majority of my council members are in agreement on this very controversial topic across the nation, but at the end, I feel happy that we have not only the support of my council members, but the full support of my community on this,” Mayor Chacon also said. “I hope that at the end, the federal government realizes that we’re not welcoming the detention centers in our community.”

He is aware that the Mayor of Socorro, Rudy Cruz Jr., is also doing everything he can to raise his voice and his community’s voice out in Washington D.C. to prevent this from happening, along with El Paso County Commissioner for District 3, Iliana Holguin, and Congresswoman Veronica Escobar (D-Texas).

“I think we’re coming together more as a community more than ever, from the west side to the east side, we’re all different, but I think now that we see these issues coming into El Paso, we’re starting to pull more together, and we put aside whatever their political views are, and we’re working more together, ESD #2 Chief Esparza added. “But I think it is going to be a very stressful situation, a taxing situation, more for the fire department than anything, because when they call, we will have to respond.

“I know that when I did have the conversations with ICE, they did mention that there could be some funding available to us to augment our operations, but from what I’ve heard in other locations, they’ve (ICE) said the same thing, but there’s been no augmentation of it, so I’m not even going to worry about that,” Chief Esparza added. “Our sole purpose here is to respond to every call that we get, and we’ll figure that out later.”

ESD #2 did a quick preview of what could happen once this proposed detention center starts operating in Socorro, but Chief Esparza says one of the things that caught everybody’s attention was the possible tax increase situation for the county.

“Nobody thinks about this, but every taxpayer for the El Paso County area that pays into ESD #2 knows that they’re paying into the fire department, right? Unfortunately, this big facility will not be contributing to that because they are the federal government, so they’re tax-exempt,” Chief Esparza said. “So the county residents will have to foot the burden for that facility, and that was made very clear to me by the individuals at ICE, that that’s just the way that they see it, it’s our burden to pay for it because that’s what they do.”

ESD #2 currently has only around 34 firefighters ready to respond to Clint, Fabens, Montana Vista, San Elizario, Socorro, and West Valley, among others.

“Do we have the manpower right now to do it? No, in this year’s budget, I’m hoping to put an additional 20 firefighters on staff, and maybe they’ll get approved. Still, maybe they will not get approved and that’s what we’re looking at to be able to accomplish everything that we’re going to have to do right now to get going for these tasks,” Chief Esparza added. “So in other words, that if we needed funding, the federal government would have to subsidize for us to get more staffing, but like I said, a lot of cities that have been told that they haven’t seen any of the funding come available.”

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Rosemary Garcia

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — Maria Zampini is off to work as University Medical Center of El Paso’s new chief executive officer. The native El Pasoan has been with UMC for more than 30 years now, marking an exciting step in her career — and the hospital’s history as its first female CEO.

Zampini is a Coronado High School graduate and obtained both a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in Business Administration from UTEP.

She began at UMC in 1993 when the hospital was still known as the Thomason General Hospital. Zampini was a Nursing Development Coordinator. She has been the Chief Operating Officer since 2013.

This change at UMC is part of an overall organizational restructure. UMC said Zampini will still report to Jacob Cintron, who is the CEO and President of the El Paso County Hospital District.

Zampini said that over three decades ago she never imagined she would one day become the hospital’s CEO. She feels humbled to enter this new role.

“One of the things that you always want to do is mentor others and make sure that there’s others that are also following along and that say, ‘Hey, I can do this.’ This is something that women can do in nontraditional roles,” she told ABC-7.

During her time as COO, Zampini oversaw multiple bonds, expansion projects, and facility renovations.

In November 2024, El Paso taxpayers approved UMC’s $396 million bond for more than 20 projects to improve the UMC campus, increase healthcare access points and develop a burn center. ABC-7 asked Zampini how these projects are moving along.

“This is the part of any bond where it doesn’t seem like a lot is happening because you’re not seeing the cranes. But so much has happened. We’ve done a lot of outreach to the local community for contractors and other vendors we’ve been working on that. We’ve secured architects, we’ve secured properties. And so it’s going very well, and it’s on pace for where it should be in this, in this point of a construction project.”

Zampini said the bond projects that will be completed first are an observation unit and the rehabilitation facility.

ABC-7 also asked Zampini how she plans to address financial pressures and staffing shortages at UMC.

“I think that that’s something that we talk about on a daily basis, right? Those are the things that we’re always looking at is how can we do things a little better? How can we be more cost-effective? And the things that we’re doing, how do we recruit?”

ABC-7 asked the new CEO how she plans to be transparent with the community and taxpayers.

“I think transparent means that we’re constantly communicating about what we’re doing and how we’re doing it, and that’s something that we strive for and that we’ve been doing with, with everything that we do.”

The new CEO said University Medical Center of El Paso continues to adapt to the growth of the El Paso community and meet the needs of patients.

Zampini said she’s been at UMC for so long because she’s passionate about improving the quality of life of UMC patients.

“You can see that whatever we work on actually changes people’s lives. And so there’s an impact, to, the community. That’s very positive.”

For now, Zampini said she will continue to listen to various stakeholders, help execute current projects and continue UMC’s mission.

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Nichole Gomez

Crime Stoppers of Houston has introduced SafeSpace, a digital safety platform shaped and led by students to help teens outside of school. SafeSpace is designed for teens and provides them with round-the-clock access to guidance, interactive activities, and reliable support. It’s a place where students can take a break, think things through, and move forward in their own way. Learn more at https://www.thesafespaceforstudents.com/

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Heriberto Perez Lara

CIUDAD JUÁREZ, Chihuahua (KVIA) — The Chihuahua State Public Security Secretariat started operations at the new Sentinel Tower, or “Torre Centinela” in Downtown Juárez two weeks ago, a project that presented back in 2022, as ABC-7 previously reported.

During a news conference Monday, the Chihuahua Public Safety Secretary, or Police Chief, Gilberto Loya Chávez along with Adrián Eduardo Lui Chavira, the officer in charge of the Undersecretary of the ‘Centinela’ Platform, presented progress and advances of the new SSPE Chihuahua headquarters in Ciudad Juárez.

Secretary Loya highlighted the “effectiveness” and “efficiency” of the first phase of the move to the new facilities, which began with the deployment of 150 SSPE personnel, who are already operating from the tower. Loya and Lui also emphasized that this “migration process” is being carried out in an orderly manner and without interrupting security and surveillance operations in the state at any time.

According to them, in this initial phase, critical areas of the tower have been put into operation:

The 15th floor, which houses the State Command Center

The 14th floor, designated for the server area and the Undersecretariat of the Centinela Platform

The 13th floor, which houses the Undersecretariat of Intelligence and Police Analysis.

ABC-7 took a tour at the 19th and 13th floors of the tower. The 13th floor showed dozens of intelligence staff and officers working to surveil critical and important areas across the state, not only in Juárez.

Currently, the Centinela Tower project is 95.5% complete overall, with construction levels exceeding 90% from the first floor onward, in addition to 92% completion of the parking area, according to both SSPE officials.

“This infrastructure is the heart of a technological network that covers the entire state, comprised of 8,650 cameras, 98 archways, and various security checkpoints,” SSPE Secretary Loya said.

The relocation of personnel will also continue gradually until all areas are fully occupied.

“This change of administrative and operational headquarters will not affect the services the Secretariat provides to the public, guaranteeing the continuity of state security functions from the new State Police headquarters,” Loya added.

SSPE Chihuahua Secretary Loya mentioned the collaborations they have with international law enforcement agencies, with the U.S., Colombia, and El Salvador, among others to battle transnational crime and criminal organizations harming the border area are “legal and necessary,” adding they only share important information and intelligence.

“I have been very clear on this, international collaboration is legal, it is a matter that is legal and it is also necessary in that order because the need exists, why? Because transnational crime is something that occurs worldwide and we cannot be exempt from having that collaboration or that permanent communication with the different entities,” Chief Loya said.

SSPE Chihuahua has been collaborating along with U.S. federal agencies such as CBP, Border Patrol, FBI, DEA and ATF, among other Texas and New Mexico law enforcement departments, where they have identified four big issues they battle every day.

“From here (Mexico) to there (U.S.), which is a problem for U.S. authorities, is the trafficking of synthetic and non-synthetic drugs and human trafficking and from there (U.S.) to here (Mexico), we also have two problems: arms trafficking and money laundering,” Loya added. “So, since these are crimes that begin on one side of the border but end on the other, that’s why communication is so important, and it’s also so important that everyone does their part to prevent this from happening.”

Secretary Loya expects to have the Sentinel Tower ready in the coming months.

“As I said, we’ll gradually be bringing in the staff of the Public Security Secretariat with the change of headquarters and from there, we’ve started bringing in staff, and as we open floors in an orderly fashion, we’ll bring them in area by area to each of the floors as they open,” Secretary Loya also said.

For the idea of having a new “International Fusion Center” aimed at having foreign law enforcement agencies collaborating here, Loya said. According to him, only the Mexican ‘Cancillería,’ or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (SRE) is the entity that can determine which foreign, or international law enforcement agencies can be operating within Mexican territory.

Watch the full ABC-7 Xtra story on ABC-7 at 10.

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Nichole Gomez

El Paso, TX (KVIA-TV)- Project BRAVO will host the 3rd Annual Homeownership Expo.

The Homeownership Expo is ideal for:

First-time homebuyers

Individuals looking to improve their financial readiness.

Families interested in affordable housing opportunities

Families ready to build generational wealth

There will be a complimentary breakfast and snacks, take part in exciting raffles, and discover a variety of educational materials and community resources. Arrive early, stay engaged, and make the most of networking and prize opportunities throughout the event!

3rd Annual Homeownership Expo  on Saturday, June 20, 2026, from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM at 9050 Viscount Blvd., Building A, El Paso, TX 79925.

For more information about the Homeownership Expo, please contact Jessie Vasquez at jvasquez@projectbravo.org or call 915-562-4100 ext. 130.

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Heriberto Perez Lara

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — Astrid Lind is a local El Paso resident who kindly made an El Paso miracle for nearly a dozen BTS fans coming from different parts of Mexico.

Lind found a Facebook page where several BTS fans were looking for a place to stay this weekend in El Paso for the two BTS concerts happening at the Sun Bowl, and she received a lot of inquiries, according to her.

People were even willing to pay more just to stay in her living room.

“I kept seeing on the Facebook pages people saying, ‘oh my gosh, help me, my hotel canceled, my Airbnb just canceled,’ other people posting because I don’t know where to stay, please help me,” Lind said. “I’m thinking, well, I’m going to be alone this weekend, I have a big house, I have five extra bedrooms, and I said, well, maybe I can help some of these girls.”

Astrid started finding ladies of all ages and did FaceTime with all of them to show them her house so they would feel safe and comfortable staying there. She posted that her house was available for females only, and it started getting a lot of posts and inquiries.

“I did have a lot of people that I had to say no to, and I feel terrible because I know there’s nothing out there, and I even had four girls who reached out to me, and I said, I have nothing to offer you, but I can put our mattresses in the upstairs living room, and they actually said okay,” Lind said. “I have some that won’t actually get a bed, but at least they’ll be safe.”

Lind says she was disappointed to see several Airbnbs priced in the thousands of dollars, some even listed at over $38,000, because it is the time to show that these big events can come to El Paso, along with fans from around the globe.

“They’re worried (the fans), they’re scared, there are so many people that don’t have a place to stay still, and desperation is definitely something that I feel for them,” Lind said.

With her family out of town this weekend, her daughters out in college, she wanted to help those who couldn’t find a spot to stay this BTS concert weekend.

“I want to show the girls a good time, I want to show them El Paso hospitality like it should have been since the beginning, so I do have plans to take them to the mall and take them to good places; I’m excited to show them what El Paso is all about,” Lind added. “I’m so excited they came to El Paso, and that’s why I want to show them a good time; this is our chance to show all these people who have never been here what our city is about.”

One of those BTS fans staying with her is Marilyn Pereira. She is from Peru but has lived in Mexico with her husband and kids for nearly a year now, and she has been a fan since 2017 and has been to different BTS concerts in other countries.

“The experience was completely different. Seeing them in Latin America is a bit difficult because, for instance, there are no assigned seats there, so, if you manage to secure a spot in the standing-room area down front, it’s very hard to actually see them; it gets incredibly crowded—absolutely packed and it’s even hard to breathe,” Pereira said. “The whole experience is just entirely different, that is why, from that moment on, I decided to follow them in the United States or Mexico, places where it’s much easier to watch them from a seated section, since, after all, many of us aren’t exactly young anymore.”

Marilyn wasn’t able to get BTS tickets for El Paso on her first try; a friend of hers who lives in Dallas gave them to her and was very excited for the opportunity.

Before she met Astrid on social media, she couldn’t find any place to stay for the weekend, which is why she’s very grateful to her for welcoming them at her house.

“I said to her, please, practically begging, because I couldn’t find anything,” said Pereira. “I felt very certain that she was a woman, and above all because of the kindness she showed us in opening her home, since I couldn’t find anything else, she was my salvation.”

Pereira, along with other ladies staying at Astrid’s house, will go to both BTS concert dates in El Paso and have high hopes and expectations about the event.

“I feel blessed; God brought me here for a reason. Through BTS being a part of my life, I met Astrid. I feel safe; I’ve made new friends, for instance, women who are married just like me, and whose husbands support them just as mine supports me. That kind of connection happens only rarely in life. That is exactly how I feel: blessed and grateful for everything, for Astrid, and for God allowing me to be here, feeling safe while watching my favorite band, and surrounded by friends who share this same experience. I am certain that this is something we will cherish for a lifetime,” Pereira added.

“To be honest, I don’t know what I would have done. I think, perhaps, I would have stayed in Juárez. That was one of the options a friend suggested to me: ‘You stay in Juárez and then cross over.’ But being a foreigner, it was my first time here, I had no idea how I was supposed to cross: whether to cross on foot, by taxi, by car, or by bus,” Pereira said. “For me, no, I had no other option but to stay there, and the last thing my husband said to me was, ‘Well, are you staying here, or are you leaving? I want you to be safe, but if not, you’ll have to give those tickets to someone else.’ But I said no, because it would break my heart.”

Now, Marilyn hopes to have a good time, without any mishaps and for BTS to see that they have ‘ARMYs’ all over the world.

“Astrid, I love you very much. Astrid, you have my heart and my lifelong gratitude; I will never forget, I will never forget how we met and how wonderfully you treated me when I came to see BTS. I will never forget it, never,” Pereira said. “And to the people of El Paso: give yourselves the chance to get to know us, the BTS fans. We ARMYs are well-behaved, and we want to share the message that BTS embodies: a message of self-acceptance, acceptance of who you are. We come from different cultures, different races, different generations, and different age groups; we are a community that embraces everyone, aren’t we? And that is what we hope for from you as well, not just to see you, but to accept you and to enjoy this moment together—to enjoy your company.”

“Thank you to my husband; I love him for staying home with our children and allowing me to fulfill my dream,” Pereira added.

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Nichole Gomez

El Paso, TX (KVIA-TV)-Businesses in Southern New Mexico now have a new way to grow beyond the region. The first Las Cruces Consumer Product Summit is set for May 5, 2026, at Mesilla Valley Mall. The event will connect local founders, product entrepreneurs, and small business owners with experienced operators, strategists, and regional leaders.

The event is free and open to everyone. You can register at lascrucesconsumerproductsummit.com.

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