Category: kvia-local-news

Mia Tricarico

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — El Paso County Commissioners unanimously voted to cancel an agenda item to hear from the county sheriff’s office about its fiscal year 2026-27 budget and staffing issues. The item made its way back to Monday’s agenda.

The item directs the county to provide direction on the sheriff’s office budgetary or staffing issues. While commissioners didn’t vote or take action, they provided direction to the budget and financing department.

The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office requested access to its contingency funds to cover the remaining overtime balance. EPCSO has driving while intoxicated operations for several holidays, including Halloween, Thanksgiving and even the Super Bowl. Each holiday’s overtime leads to about $20,000.

El Paso County budget officials estimated the sheriff’s office ended the last fiscal year with a deficit of roughly $7.9 million. Pending grants could reduce that amount.

Officials said the numbers aren’t final because the auditor is still making adjustments, including about $1.3 million in additional payroll accruals.

Monday, Director of Budget and Finance Carmen Arrieta-Candelaria went through a presentation with information current as of Oct. 14.

Arrieta-Candelaria said the adopted budget was more than $136 million. A revised budget showed $144 million. Arrieta-Candelaria said nothing changed since the last presentation and reported a net change of $7.7 million.

As of right now, she said the deficit for fiscal year 25-26 is $7.6 million. Again, she stressed the numbers aren’t final.

Commander Jerome Washington said a reason for the $7.6 million deficit is the previous administration prioritizing different things. He also mentioned inflation.

“How we started the new administration is a little more proactive for certain things, which is the DWI task force, drunk drivers, and then as well as in the jail,” Washington said.

County budget officials reported expenditures hit nearly $150 million, driven by salary overruns and $1.3 million in late payroll accruals. Department leadership cited inflation and new proactive DWI enforcement for the spike.

ABC-7 asked Washington about the $1.3 million increase, which happened in just three days.

“We’re trying to protect the public, ensure the inmates are safe, but also minimize any liability for the county, which in turn translates to the taxpayer. So they are trying to do our best to make sure that we mitigate all of these issues that might hurt the taxpayer in the future,” he said.

Arrieta-Candelaria asked for a motion to get direction on the special operations for a budget amendment. They are not posted for action on this item, so they will just receive direction, according to the city attorney.

The sheriff’s office and county departments will have their bi-weekly meetings to keep everything on track.

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Gabrielle Lopez

UPDATE (3:30 p.m.): TxDOT El Paso said a second semi rolled over due to high winds in the same location. It happened on the U.S. 62 highway near the Guadalupe Mountains National Park.

High winds knocked over two semis on Monday on the U.S. 62 highway at Mile Marker 129.(Courtesy: TxDOT El Paso via X)

TxDOT El Paso reported the first rollover less than an hour ago.

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — High winds knocked over a semi driving on the U.S. 62 highway near the Guadalupe Mountains National Park, according to the Texas Department of Transportation.

A semi rolled over due to high winds on U.S. 62 at Mile Marker 129, TxDOT said.(Courtesy: TxDOT via X)

TxDOT El Paso confirmed the rollover on Monday at 1:30 p.m. It happened at Mile Marker 129.

Eastbound lanes on the highway are blocked, and traffic is being redirected through the westbound lane, according to TxDOT.

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Mia Tricarico

SAN ELIZARIO, Texas — On Sunday, the historic San Elizario Placita hosted its annual Día de los Muertos Festival.

Families and friends gathered to honor loved ones while celebrating the resilience of Mexican heritage in San Elizario’s art district.

Central to the holiday, community members built altars to display at the festival to honor passed family members and community icons.

“Growing up in Mexico. Of course, this is a way for me to remember who I am and where I come from. So, definitely. This is a celebration of my ancestors and my heritage.” Said Miguel Chacón, Mayor of San Elizario.

The Placita filled up quickly with people of all ages celebrating, from Sgt. Roberto Ituarte Elementary School’s cheer team to professional Catrinas.

“This tradition has really taken up in the United States. And we embrace who we are as Hispanics. And people sometimes misinterpret what the Día De Los Muertos is, but it’s really a celebration of life and honoring those that have passed on,” said Debra Venegas, a San Elizario Resident.

ABC-7 spoke with Miriam Herrera’s family, who arrived at the event exceptionally early to start setting up their ofrenda. They set their ofrenda up on the hood of a car and placed their loved ones’ favorite foods and things. The woman displaying the family photos is named Miriam Herrera.

For participants like Herrera, the holiday brings mixed emotions.

“The food we put out is what they loved to eat when they were alive,” Herrera said.

She said the traditional belief holds that spirits return to visit during November.

“What they liked was coffee, soda, and candies. I miss and love them so much and one day soon, we will all be together again,” she said.

Though she admits the day brings a touch of sadness, Herrera added that honoring her uncles, cousins, dad and pets through their favorite treats brings her a comforting sense of closeness to those she has lost.

Lorenzo Luevano, the manager of San Elizario Agriculture, helped put this event together. He told ABC-7 it took a little over two months to prepare and finalize everything.

“I worked together with El Paso county and we partnered up to create this event. This is our second annual event. Last year was a parade. This year we decided to focus everything within the Placita, because we want the community in the region to to take notice of the Placita. That way they can enjoy the Placita, the historic buildings, the mission and the museum,” he said.

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Nina Gallegos

SUNLAND PARK, N.M. (KVIA) – Sunland Park Mayor Javier Perea said he discovered three Sunland Park bond questions weren’t on the ballot for the November 2026 midterm election. Perea cast his ballot Friday, Oct. 30 — four days before Election Day.

Friday evening, the City of Sunland Park announced the three General Obligation bond questions approved by city council won’t appear on the ballot.

“I cast my ballot, and then that’s when I reached out to the city staff and asking about, you know, why our questions weren’t on there. And that’s when things started rolling about. ‘Hey, there might have been a mishap somewhere that prevented these questions from being included in the ballot,'” Perea said.

Perea said the sample ballot wasn’t checked before Friday.

“I think the city confided in the fact that they had submitted the the election resolution with the ballot questions on time, and I guess there was confidence that that was the sufficient legal requirements to get that accomplished, and that my understanding is that there was no additional follow up on that,” Mayor Perea said.

On Saturday, Oct. 31st, Doña Ana County released a statement saying the City of Sunland Park submitted a resolution and two ordinances to the Clerk’s Office Recording & Filing Department.

“Placing a question on the ballot requires coordination with the Bureau of Elections, which prepares and certifies ballot content; recording a document with the Recording & Filing Department does not, on its own, initiate that process,” the Doña Ana County statement said.

ABC-7 asked if the City of Sunland Park coordinated with the Bureau of Elections or just the Recording & Filing Department.

“Who has to do the coordination with the Bureau of Elections? I think that’s the discussion that has to be had because under the statute, the statute only requires the entity to submit it for filing to the county clerk’s office. The statute does not indicate that you have to go and coordinate with the Bureau of Elections. So I think that’s the distinction between the two that has to be analyzed,” Perea said.

The statute Perea referenced, NMSA 1978, 1-16-3(B), states, “The local government shall file a resolution proposing the ballot question with the county clerk of each county containing any precinct in which votes may be cast for or against the local government ballot question. Not less than sixty-seven days before the election, each county clerk shall certify the local government ballot question to the secretary of state.”

Mayor Perea said his understanding at this point is that the City of Sunland Park didn’t coordinate with the Doña Ana County Bureau of Elections.

When asked whose responsibility it is to submit that filing, Perea said it’s ultimately up to the city manager, Mario Juarez-Infante.

In the Sunland Park statement sent Friday, Juarez-Infante said, “Residents were expecting to see these questions on their ballots, and we owe them a clear explanation. We are working to find out what happened and to give voters the chance to decide on these projects in the spring.”

Mayor Perea said delaying the three bond questions on the ballot would delay funding for projects that were intended to start at the end of this year.

Perea said he believes the City of Sunland Park fulfilled its statutory requirement for the bond questions to appear on the ballot.

“The statute clearly says, you know, submit it to the County records for filing. It doesn’t say, ‘And go coordinate with the election department or go do extra work.’ I think that’s the struggle between the two,” Perea said.

If voted in favor, the bond questions would have totaled $8.25 million. The three bond questions were:

Shall the City of Sunland Park issue general obligation bonds, payable from property taxes, in an amount up to $2,225,000 for construction of a regional recreation center, upgrade current parks, and construction of the Rio Grande and other municipal multi-use trails and wayfinding? Shall the City of Sunland Park issue general obligation bonds, payable from property taxes, in an amount up to $2,500,000 for design, construction of a new public safety complex, and the purchase of new fire and public safety equipment and vehicles? Shall the City of Sunland Park issue general obligation bonds, payable from property taxes, in an amount up to $3,500,000 for work on existing roads, new construction on roadways, and construction and improvement of water and wastewater infrastructure?

Doña Ana County officials declined an interview ahead of Election Day. ABC-7 reached out with questions on where the statute specifies that Sunland Park should submit bond questions ahead of Election Day.

Caroline Zamora, Doña Ana County Chief Deputy Clerk, responded with the following statement:

On August 21, the City of Sunland Park recorded three documents with our Recording and Filing Department: a resolution and two ordinances. They were recorded like any other document, following standard recording procedure. Recording a document makes it an archived public record for future reference by interested parties. Filing the resolution with the Bureau of Elections did not occur. The Bureau of Elections received no communication of intention to include a ballot question for this general election and were first made aware of an issue on October 30th.

ABC-7 reached out to New Mexico Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver for an interview. Lindsey Bachman, Director of Communications, replied with a statement:

Per state statute, the Secretary of State’s Office does not certify ballot content. County Clerks are legally responsible for ballot content certification to our office sixty days prior to a general election. We have not been contacted by the City of Sunland Park regarding this issue, and our understanding is that the City Clerk did not file a ballot question resolution with the Bureau of Elections at the Doña Ana County Clerk’s Office.

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Gabrielle Lopez

SUNLAND PARK, N.M. (KVIA) — The City of Sunland Park broke ground on the Futurity Drive Reconstruction Project Monday.

The project aims to rebuilt Futurity Drive from San Gabriel Road to Trifecta Avenue, the city said. Crews plan to add new water lines and improve storm drainage.

According to the city, construction was planned to reduce flooding and improve safety in the area. Sunland Park Mayor Javier Perea said businesses in the area will see a new sidewalk for easier access.

Mayor Perea said the road’s asphalt started crumbling and the wastewater infrastructure underneath has “long lived its useful life.” The construction project will bring “dire” improvements, he said.

The current conditions of Futurity Drive in Sunland Park, New Mexico. Mayor Javier Perea said the road needs “dire” improvements due to its age.(Courtesy: KVIA)

Additionally, Perea said the project will connect communities.

“We want people to get out there and enjoy the outdoors and start living a healthy life through the public spaces we have,” the mayor said.

On top of functional improvements, Perea said the project will bring landscaping that he hopes will set high standards for similar beautification projects across the region.

A rendering of improvements planned for Futurity Drive.(Courtesy: City of Sunland Park)

The New Mexico Finance Authority Colonias Infrastructure Project Fund is funding the project. Perea said the project had more than $5 million in funding.

Construction will start the week of Nov. 9, according to the city. Mayor Perea said road work will last several months, but there’s no end date set.

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Heriberto Perez Lara

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), along with other local, state and federal agencies, arrested 4,170 people across Texas during a 10-day statewide law enforcement initiative titled Lone Star Mission, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin announced Oct. 29.

The joint effort targeted criminal noncitizens throughout Texas, according to officials who presented the results at a news conference in Dallas last Thursday.

Lone Star Mission ran from Oct. 19 to Oct. 29 and involved ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations field offices in Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, El Paso and Harlingen.

Federal officials said the coordinated operation focused on locating and detaining individuals with criminal histories, including those facing charges or convictions for violent offenses, driving under the influence and human smuggling.

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin held a press conference in Dallas to announce the operation’s outcomes alongside several ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations officials.

Participating officials included Dallas Field Office Director Miguel Vergara, Houston Field Office Director Bret Bradford, acting San Antonio Field Office Director Joshua Johnson, acting El Paso Field Office Director Christopher McGregor and Harlingen Deputy Field Office Director Mellissa De Leon.

Mullin highlighted the coordination between federal agents and local authorities during the press conference.

“Lone Star Mission has been an incredible success, with the brave patriots of ICE arresting more than 4,100 illegal aliens across the state of Texas in ten days,” Mullin said. “Thanks to Texas law enforcement and our federal partners, over the course of this operation, we arrested murderers, sexual assailants, drunk drivers and alien smugglers. This operation shows exactly how important our state and local partnerships are for protecting American communities. Thanks to President Trump’s leadership, ICE has been fully unleashed to go after criminal illegal aliens and make America safe again.”

In El Paso, agents arrested Victor Manuel Macias-Castro, a Mexican national identified by officials as a member of the La Linea Cartel, on Oct. 22. His criminal record includes convictions for conspiracy to enter, transport, or harbor aliens, along with illegal entry and illegal reentry.

According to DHS, Macias-Castro was arrested during a targeted enforcement operation since his criminal history includes: “a conviction for conspiracy to smuggle aliens.” Macias-Castro was transferred into the custody of federal law enforcement for prosecution on October 22, 2026.

DHS also provided the following details:

“On three separate occasions, in 2017, 2021, and 2022, Macias-Castro was arrested after illegally entering the country and was subsequently removed on the same day. He illegally reentered the country at an unknown time and place after being removed—a felony. Macias-Castro was issued a final order of removal on September 19, 2026. He received due process and will remain in ICE custody pending removal.”

Among those arrested during the initiative was Javier Hernandez Alcon, a Mexican citizen who had been deported twice previously. ICE agents arrested Hernandez Alcon in Liberty on Oct. 20. According to federal officials, his criminal history includes convictions for burglary involving forced entry into a residence and illegal reentry, as well as a prior arrest for capital murder.

Agents in Dallas arrested Orlando Aguilar, a Mexican national, on Oct. 24. Aguilar’s criminal record includes convictions for felony intoxication assault with a vehicle causing serious bodily injury and driving while intoxicated.

In Houston, ICE officers arrested Ramon Antonio Martinez, a Honduran citizen, on Oct. 23. Authorities stated Martinez is wanted in Honduras in connection with the alleged killing of a Honduran man alongside two other suspects.

In Zapata County, officers arrested Gerardo Daniel Rivera-Rivera, a Mexican citizen, on Oct. 24. Rivera-Rivera’s record includes convictions for felony sexual assault and illegal reentry.

ABC-7 reached out to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and ICE headquarters to request an interview and comments and to learn how many of those more than 4,000 arrests took place in El Paso.

DHS sent us the following written statement:

“ICE makes custody determinations daily, on a case-by-case basis in accordance with U.S. law, and various factors to ensure their presence for immigration proceedings or removal from the United States. Despite a historic number of injunctions, DHS is working rapidly and overtime to remove these aliens from detention centers to their final destination—home.

Under President Trump and Secretary Mullin, if you break the law, you will face the consequences. Criminal illegal aliens are not welcome in the U.S.”

ABC-7 also reached out to the local ICE office and to the Federal Public Defender’s Office for the Western District of Texas to learn how attorneys are handling all these cases here in El Paso; both said they are working to provide us with a response.

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Armando Ramirez

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA)– El Paso philanthropists Charles and Lori de Wetter and the de Wetter Family Foundation donated $100,000 to help provide private infusion bays for cancer patients at the new Fox Cancer Center.

According to officials, the infusion bays serve as dedicated spaces where patients receive chemotherapy and other medications intravenously.

“Both Lori and I lost our fathers to cancer,” said Charles de Wetter. “We wanted to make a meaningful contribution that would have a direct and lasting impact on patients and their loved ones. Supporting a private infusion bay felt like a very personal way to do that.”

TTHEP

Each private bay will include a reclining chair and a television. Officials mention that the enclosed bays provide privacy while allowing family members of the patient to be together while receiving treatment.

“When patients return for chemotherapy again and again,” said Texas Tech Physicians of El Paso oncologist Sumit Gaur, M.D., “the environment becomes an important part of their experience. A private infusion bay gives them a dedicated space where they can rest, talk with their care team, and have family nearby while they receive treatment.”

The facility is currently under construction on the Texas Tech Health El Paso campus.

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Armando Ramirez

HORIZON, TEXAS (KVIA)– According to a social media post from El Paso County, the El Paso County Sheriff’s Resource Center located at 15956 Horizon Blvd. will be shutting down as of Sunday, November 1st at 12:00 p.m.

Officials say impacted residents can continue to seek information and guidance, as well as receive amenities like bathrooms, hand-washing stations, charging stations, and other resources from the Agua Dulce Community Center located at 15371 Kentwood Ave, El Paso, TX 79928.

El Paso County officials say for the latest information and additional resources, visit: www.epcounty.com/Flood-Resources.

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Armando Ramirez

UPDATE (10:53 a.m.) — The El Paso Fire Department said that there has been a crash involving a vehicle and a motorcycle on Gateway East near Zaragoza.

According to a spokeswoman from EPFD, the department’s FireSTAR was initially called out but was canceled, and one person was taken to the hospital with minor injuries.

If more information is provided, we will update you on air and online.

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — According to the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), a crash has closed all lanes on Gateway East near Zaragoza.

ABC-7 crews monitoring TxDOT cameras see a large presence of El Paso Police Department vehicles, the El Paso Fire Department, as well as TxDOT vehicles.

ABC-7 has reached out to officials for more information regarding the crash.

Once more information is provided, we will update you on air and online.

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Lauren Bly

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — Sunday afternoon, at about 1 p.m. El Paso Police said they found one man in his 50’s dead while conducting a welfare check in East El Paso.

Police found the body at a home on the 3000 block of Swordsmen Place, which is near the intersection of Saul Kleinfeld Drive and Pebble Hills Boulevard.

They said that Crimes Against Persons is investigating this as a suspicious death. Police blocked off the street and restricted it to local residents.

Police ask if you have any information call 915-832-8477.

ABC-7 will keep you updated on air and online as we learn more.

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