PHARR — There was a seizure worth more than $2,781,000 in alleged cocaine here recently at the Pharr International Bridge cargo facility.
By P.j. Hernandez Advance News Journal
Case confirmed in Starr County; Hidalgo County judge responds
By Gregg Wendorf | Advance News Journal
One of my favorite public officials, JP Robert “Bobby” Contreras, got some well-deserved recognition last Wednesday, July 15, at an official portrait unveiling ceremony. Hard to believe he’s been gone a year now.
Today's News
Buoys that the federal government planned to install as anti- immigration deterrents drifted into the Rio Grande amid severe flooding, prompting officials to close several key bridges along the U.S.-Mexico border near Eagle Pass on Thursday and in Laredo on Sunday.
By Carlos Nogueras Ramos And Alex Nguyen | The Texas Tribune
EDINBURG — A former Edinburg Consolidated Independent School District employee turned themselves into the authorities Wednesday after allegations involving an inappropriate relationship between an educator and a student.
By Staff Report | Advance News Journal
A sweeping 2023 Texas immigration law that lets state authorities arrest and deport people suspected of having illegally crossed the U.S.-Mexico border can go into effect after a federal appeals court on Friday lifted a lower court's stoppage of certain provisions.
By Alejandro Serrano And Alex Nguyen | The Texas Tribune
News
A Texas appeals court on Thursday dismissed an injunction that forced a Houston- area midwife to close her clinics, ruling that Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office relied solely on an anonymous email as evidence that she violated the state’s 2022 abortion ban.
Paxton’s office secured the injunction last year against clinics operated by Maria Margarita Rosas. She still faces criminal charge that she provided unlawful abortions and employed unlicensed individuals.
By Terri Langford The Texas Tribune
PHARR — There was a seizure worth more than $2,781,000 in alleged cocaine here recently at the Pharr International Bridge cargo facility.
According to a release last week by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, officers at the bridge found the alleged narcotics in a shipment that was manifested as bottled beverages.
Port Director Carlos Rodriguez said that the organization’s “layered enforcement strategy” was effective in finding the alleged drugs.
By Staff Report Advance News Journal
ISIS supporter admits to disseminating terrorist propaganda via social media HOUSTON — A 30-yearold Houston resident has pleaded guilty to concealing material support to a foreign terrorist organization and making false statements.
Anas Said is a pledged supporter of Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) and used various social media accounts to post, share, or disseminate ISIS propaganda.
Sports
The Rio Grande Valley Vipers are hosting a Basketball Skills Camp during the first week of August.
Parents who have children from the ages of 6-14 still have the chance to register their aspiring players.
The camp will be a threeday event and it will also be co-ed. According to the organization, Joseph Blair — who is the head coach of the Vipers — will also be in attendance.
By Staff Report Advance News Journal
The school year is right around the baseline corner for a lot of students in the Rio Grande Valley and the Vipers are looking to gear up to help with the occasion.
The local G-League team — along with Sonic Drive-In — has teamed up with the South Texas Literacy Coalition for the annual “Blocks for Books” campaign during the first week of August.
By Staff Report Advance News Journal
The UTRGV Football program is set to have an open practice to give fans the chance to see them in action. The open practice will be on Aug. 6 at Sams Memorial Stadium in Brownsville. It is set to start at 3:30 p.m. but the gates open an hour prior. No pre-registration or tickets are required.
More so, the program is hosting a youth clinic for children who are in grades 2 to 5.
The clinic will be after the practice and will start at 5:15 p.m.
By Staff Report Advance News Journal
Opinion
Too bad that U.S. Sen. John Neely Kennedy is from my home state of Louisiana simply because I hate to have any connection with the simpleton.
By Gregg Wendorf Advance News Journal
You can tell that a government is in trouble when it starts making threats against its own people as to what it will do if it loses power.
By Tom Haughey Advance News Journal
Two weeks ago, I had to text somebody, but being a responsible driver (most of the time), I pulled over to the side of Pecan just opposite the McAllen post office.
I was headed westbound, and there’s a big pull-over lane, apparently so drivers who encounter breakdowns have somewhere to pull over without blocking traffic. My truck was still working, but I figured it would serve my purpose: I needed a place to park for a brief minute and text.
By Gregg Wendorf Advance News Journal
Lifestyle
This week, Cinderella Pet Rescue is featuring two very good dogs in need of homes to call their own–Bistro and Cafe–big dogs with big hearts and lots of love to share with a person or family of their very own.
Both dogs are German Shepherd crosses, but each has an unusual colored coat.
Bistro, the good boy
Bistro was born in March, 2024. His main color is fox red, highlighted with black and white. Like a fox, he has a beautiful bushy tail.
By Cory Raymond | Cinderella Pet Rescue
The English pop-music group, The Beatles, has long been considered one of the most popular entertainment acts of all time.
By Chris Voss | First Christian Church
Absurdity in modern-day America is…
“The fact that the San Antonio Spurs managed to blow a 29-point lead last week as they lost the NBA championship to the NY Knicks?”
No, that’s not it.
“How about a guy like Texas AG Ken Paxton, who has enough baggage to sink a naval carrier, beat a relatively decent guy like John Cornyn in last month’s GOP primary?”
By Gregg Wendorf | Advance News Journal
Obituaries
ALAMO — Juan Manuel Beltran, 86, passed away Wednesday, July 22, 2026 at his residence in Alamo.
Juan is survived by five children, Juan Manuel Beltran Jr., Ricardo Beltran, Lorena Almanza, Sylvia Pedroza, Claudia Beltran; 14 grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; and five siblings, Isabel Beltran, Maria Luisa Flores, San Juana Beltran, Irene Beltran, Diana Flores and Pedro Beltran.
Joel Badillo, 64, passed away Thursday, July 23, 2026, at The Heights of Alamo.
He is preceded in death by his parents, Reyes and Aurelia Badillo; and brother, Mario Javier Badillo.
EDINBURG — Pablo M. “Meme Chiquito” Guzman, 58, passed away Sunday, July 19, 2026, at Doctors Hospital at Renaissance in Edinburg.
He is preceded in death by his parents, Pablo R. Guzman and Concepcion De Luna; numerous siblings; and his in-laws, Francisco and Maria Aleman.
Photo Galleries
SAN JUAN — The PSJA Bears, who are arguably the best team in the RGV, won their first postseason game against the Harlingen Cardinals on Thursday by the score of 13-0.
The second game is set for Harlingen on Friday. If there is a third game needed, it will be on Saturday in San Juan at 1 p.m.
The UTRGV Vaqueros (5-8. 0-3) took a regular season series against the Texas Southern University Tigers during a home stretch in Edinburg.
On Wednesday, the Vaqueros took the commanding win, 10-4. The night before that, they won 5-3.
This weekend, starting on Friday, UTRGV will host a Southland Conference three-game series against New Orleans University.
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