THE DOCTOR SAYS:
Click on link to go to her website: https://drcisnerosfortexas.com/
Friday, September 4, 2026
"OH WHAT FOOOLS THESE BROWNTOWN RUBES MUST BE..."
By Stephanie Koithan,
San Antonio Current
The South Texas city of Brownsville has approved the disannexation of 444 acres of land in a rushed deal with billionaire Elon Musk’s SpaceX that displayed the “lopsided power dynamics” between the municipality and the galactic Goliath, news site myRGV reports.
The purpose of the land grab is still officially a mystery. SpaceX declined to state how it plans to use the land, according to media reports. However, activists say there’s evidence the company plans to use the property to build a water-hungry data center and gas-fueled power plant in the resource-strained region.
Opponents of the transaction raised the alarm over the company’s tactics, which they said were so secretive that even the mayor and city commissioners didn’t know the details of a deal they unanimously approved during a nighttime meeting last Saturday, myRGV reports.
SpaceX, an aerospace company valued at $1.9 trillion, asked for the property near Brownsville’s port to be removed from city limits and the municipality’s extraterritorial jurisdiction. That means the city, which has a population of nearly 200,000, surrendered its zoning, permitting, ordinance and taxation authority over the property — without knowing why.
As part of the transaction, SpaceX will invest up to $220 million in Brownsville’s water supply, but the offer, called Project Quantum, was only on the table if city leaders accepted the deal that day, according to media reports. Brownsville officials cited the city’s water scarcity as their reason for approving the deal.
“We put the residents first tonight,” Mayor John Cowen Jr. told the Brownsville Herald. “We look at this as a very historic moment for the city. Water is a huge issue in South Texas and around the state, and this decision today will ensure that Brownsville be a place for future generations to live, and for our continued growth as a city.”
At the same time, the company offered little explanation for why it requested the disannexation.
SpaceX executive Sheila McCorkle, Vice President of Starship Legal and Regulatory, was present at the hearing and said the business would take the matter to court if need be, according to activists who attended the hearing.
City commissioners requested 72 hours to deliberate but McCorkle denied their request, saying the deal would soon be off the table, according to the report by myRGV.
“I did not feel comfortable with the pace here. I made that statement to SpaceX privately and publicly,” Brownsville Mayor John Cowen said at the meeting. “We wanted to, at the very least, move this to Tuesday.”
“I appreciate it’s a rush, but it’s the reality,” McCorkle said.
Community members spoke against the deal during Saturday’s meeting, even though city commissioners themselves hadn’t seen the Municipal Annexation Plan prior to the public comment period.
Upon receiving the plan 90 minutes after the meeting’s public comment concluded, city officials shared details of the project with the crowd. Even after public comment had ended, video footage shows that members of the community continued to speak up. Police escorted some out of the building.
“You keep talking about the pros of the deal but what are the cons?” one woman asked before being
escorted away, as shown in video of the meeting shared by independent journalist Uriel Gavito.
Brownsville officials said they believe the project is positioned near the port to take advantage of the shipping channel, but they otherwise appeared to know few details, Brownsville business owner John Morales said in an online post..
Though SpaceX designs, manufactures, and launches rockets, McCorkle ruled out rocket launches and engine tests on premises in her remarks, Morales added.
“But after the six-hour meeting, the public was never told exactly what SpaceX intends to build there,” he added in an Instagram video.
Activists also drew attention to the timing of the high-pressure hearing, which occurred during an unconventional time to hold a city meeting
The Saturday meeting — with its “act now!” one-day offer — occurred just three days before the Brownsville City Commission was scheduled to hold a Tuesday workshop on implementing a 90-day data center moratorium.
Activists said the timing is no coincidence, adding that signs suggest SpaceX plans to develop a data center. Suspicion to that end began building weeks ahead of the company announcing its plan to disannex the property.
On July 16, Brownsville residents received a letter in the mail from the city’s Planning and Zoning Committee explaining that an unnamed company plans to build a data center within city limits. The notice was met with fierce opposition from the community.
According to a city notice, Brownsville’s proposed regulations could include requiring the computing facilities to obtain a special permits while investing in closed-loop water cooling systems and sound-reducing landscape buffers.
The regulations also could limit future data center facilities to five acres in size and require that they maintain at least a one-mile separation from residential neighborhoods, schools, hospitals, places of worship, and other data centers, according to a city press release.
However, none of these regulations would apply to land outside city jurisdiction.
After Saturday’s meeting, activists found SpaceX job postings for a data center in the area, which prompted further speculation that the disannexed property would be used to create a massive computing hub.
One new job listing is for a data center mehcanical engineer position at Starbase, Texas — SpaceX’s corporate campus near Brownsville. The listing mentions needing someone to oversee water cooling systems for data center racks.
San Antonio Current
The South Texas city of Brownsville has approved the disannexation of 444 acres of land in a rushed deal with billionaire Elon Musk’s SpaceX that displayed the “lopsided power dynamics” between the municipality and the galactic Goliath, news site myRGV reports.
The purpose of the land grab is still officially a mystery. SpaceX declined to state how it plans to use the land, according to media reports. However, activists say there’s evidence the company plans to use the property to build a water-hungry data center and gas-fueled power plant in the resource-strained region.
Opponents of the transaction raised the alarm over the company’s tactics, which they said were so secretive that even the mayor and city commissioners didn’t know the details of a deal they unanimously approved during a nighttime meeting last Saturday, myRGV reports.
SpaceX, an aerospace company valued at $1.9 trillion, asked for the property near Brownsville’s port to be removed from city limits and the municipality’s extraterritorial jurisdiction. That means the city, which has a population of nearly 200,000, surrendered its zoning, permitting, ordinance and taxation authority over the property — without knowing why.
As part of the transaction, SpaceX will invest up to $220 million in Brownsville’s water supply, but the offer, called Project Quantum, was only on the table if city leaders accepted the deal that day, according to media reports. Brownsville officials cited the city’s water scarcity as their reason for approving the deal.
“We put the residents first tonight,” Mayor John Cowen Jr. told the Brownsville Herald. “We look at this as a very historic moment for the city. Water is a huge issue in South Texas and around the state, and this decision today will ensure that Brownsville be a place for future generations to live, and for our continued growth as a city.”
At the same time, the company offered little explanation for why it requested the disannexation.
SpaceX executive Sheila McCorkle, Vice President of Starship Legal and Regulatory, was present at the hearing and said the business would take the matter to court if need be, according to activists who attended the hearing.
A ‘rush’ but ‘the reality’
City commissioners requested 72 hours to deliberate but McCorkle denied their request, saying the deal would soon be off the table, according to the report by myRGV.
“I did not feel comfortable with the pace here. I made that statement to SpaceX privately and publicly,” Brownsville Mayor John Cowen said at the meeting. “We wanted to, at the very least, move this to Tuesday.”
“I appreciate it’s a rush, but it’s the reality,” McCorkle said.
Community members spoke against the deal during Saturday’s meeting, even though city commissioners themselves hadn’t seen the Municipal Annexation Plan prior to the public comment period.
Upon receiving the plan 90 minutes after the meeting’s public comment concluded, city officials shared details of the project with the crowd. Even after public comment had ended, video footage shows that members of the community continued to speak up. Police escorted some out of the building.
“You keep talking about the pros of the deal but what are the cons?” one woman asked before being
escorted away, as shown in video of the meeting shared by independent journalist Uriel Gavito.
Brownsville officials said they believe the project is positioned near the port to take advantage of the shipping channel, but they otherwise appeared to know few details, Brownsville business owner John Morales said in an online post..
Though SpaceX designs, manufactures, and launches rockets, McCorkle ruled out rocket launches and engine tests on premises in her remarks, Morales added.
“But after the six-hour meeting, the public was never told exactly what SpaceX intends to build there,” he added in an Instagram video.
Activists also drew attention to the timing of the high-pressure hearing, which occurred during an unconventional time to hold a city meeting
Data center suspicions
Activists said the timing is no coincidence, adding that signs suggest SpaceX plans to develop a data center. Suspicion to that end began building weeks ahead of the company announcing its plan to disannex the property.
On July 16, Brownsville residents received a letter in the mail from the city’s Planning and Zoning Committee explaining that an unnamed company plans to build a data center within city limits. The notice was met with fierce opposition from the community.
According to a city notice, Brownsville’s proposed regulations could include requiring the computing facilities to obtain a special permits while investing in closed-loop water cooling systems and sound-reducing landscape buffers.
The regulations also could limit future data center facilities to five acres in size and require that they maintain at least a one-mile separation from residential neighborhoods, schools, hospitals, places of worship, and other data centers, according to a city press release.
However, none of these regulations would apply to land outside city jurisdiction.
Data center job postings
After Saturday’s meeting, activists found SpaceX job postings for a data center in the area, which prompted further speculation that the disannexed property would be used to create a massive computing hub.
Another listing for a Power Plant Engineer position mentions gas turbines, indicating that SpaceX plans to build a gas-powered plant on the premises to serve a data center.
“SpaceX is building and operating combined-cycle gas turbine power plants that must come online, stay online, and perform,” the job listing states. “This role owns the design and build of the full power plant: gas turbines, mechanical and electrical balance of plant, and everything else that keeps the plant running at rated output, day after day.”
Requirements for the Power Plant Engineer position state that the ideal candidate must have “experience integrating power generation with co-located industrial or data center loads.”
Another listing advertises a senior legal counsel position for a SpaceX data center located in Brownsville, Texas.
According to its listing, the legal counsel position would “provide expert legal guidance on developing large-scale datacenter infrastructure and supporting utilities, including land acquisition and development, datacenter construction, on-site power generation, electrical transmission and distribution, gas pipelines and fuel supply, water and wastewater systems,” among other issues relating specifically to data center operation.
“SpaceX is building and operating combined-cycle gas turbine power plants that must come online, stay online, and perform,” the job listing states. “This role owns the design and build of the full power plant: gas turbines, mechanical and electrical balance of plant, and everything else that keeps the plant running at rated output, day after day.”
Requirements for the Power Plant Engineer position state that the ideal candidate must have “experience integrating power generation with co-located industrial or data center loads.”
Another listing advertises a senior legal counsel position for a SpaceX data center located in Brownsville, Texas.
According to its listing, the legal counsel position would “provide expert legal guidance on developing large-scale datacenter infrastructure and supporting utilities, including land acquisition and development, datacenter construction, on-site power generation, electrical transmission and distribution, gas pipelines and fuel supply, water and wastewater systems,” among other issues relating specifically to data center operation.
Thursday, September 3, 2026
COMING TO LOUISIANA FROM 445 ACRES AT A SEAPORT NEAR YOU...
By Joe Cardosi
Energy developer ONE Nuclear announced Monday (August 21) it has signed an agreement with a group of Louisiana landowners that secures a site for a 2.88-gigawatt natural gas-fired power plant, battery storage system, and data center campus located between New Orleans and Baton Rouge.
Florida-based ONE Nuclear intends to build Project Cayman near the RiverPlex MegaPark on a site about 90 miles northeast of SpaceX’s recently announced Starbase project, One Nuclear said in a statement.
Elon Musk’s 125,000-acre, $100 billion Starbase Louisiana project is designed to be the largest rocket launch facility on Earth.
Aerospace Now
WWL News
If Starbase, Louisiana reaches its target flight rate, rocket launches will stop being scheduled events and start functioning like airport departure boards.
A cadence of 30 flights a day means clearing an orbital pad every 48 minutes around the clock. To support that volume without catastrophic bottlenecks, SpaceX is planning more than a dozen launch towers across its Vermilion Parish site, effectively turning orbital transport into a continuous conveyor belt.
Instead of treating each rocket as a hand-crafted vehicle that demands weeks of pad turnaround, the facility is designed for relentless rotation: vehicles barged in from the Port of Brownsville, Texas, stacked, fueled with tens of thousands of tons of on-site cryogenics, launched, caught, and reset.
With major civil buildouts slated for 2027 and maiden flights targeted for 2029, the Gulf Coast is preparing for an operational rhythm the aerospace industry has never seen before.
Joe Pappalardo, an author and journalist who has covered the Starbase site since it was just a beach, says the state as a whole stands to benefit from being an integral part of SpaceX launches moving forward.
While SpaceX’s launch facility in Texas has been a major focal point, the Louisiana Gulf Coast will be integral to space missions advancing national priorities going forward. Pappalardo expects development to happen at a rapid pace in Louisiana.
A cadence of 30 flights a day means clearing an orbital pad every 48 minutes around the clock. To support that volume without catastrophic bottlenecks, SpaceX is planning more than a dozen launch towers across its Vermilion Parish site, effectively turning orbital transport into a continuous conveyor belt.
Instead of treating each rocket as a hand-crafted vehicle that demands weeks of pad turnaround, the facility is designed for relentless rotation: vehicles barged in from the Port of Brownsville, Texas, stacked, fueled with tens of thousands of tons of on-site cryogenics, launched, caught, and reset.
With major civil buildouts slated for 2027 and maiden flights targeted for 2029, the Gulf Coast is preparing for an operational rhythm the aerospace industry has never seen before.
Joe Pappalardo, an author and journalist who has covered the Starbase site since it was just a beach, says the state as a whole stands to benefit from being an integral part of SpaceX launches moving forward.
While SpaceX’s launch facility in Texas has been a major focal point, the Louisiana Gulf Coast will be integral to space missions advancing national priorities going forward. Pappalardo expects development to happen at a rapid pace in Louisiana.
“It’s going to happen fast in Louisiana. They’ve got the money and the plan. They didn’t really have either of those when Boca Chica Beach (in Brownsville, Texas) was just starting out,” he went on to explain. Pappalardo expects Louisiana residents to be able to take advantage of the myriad jobs that will be created by the facility in Louisiana as well.
Pappalardo says the facility in Brownsville was made primarily for testing purposes. The SpaceX base in Louisiana would be where they launch rockets regularly.
Pappalardo says the facility in Brownsville was made primarily for testing purposes. The SpaceX base in Louisiana would be where they launch rockets regularly.
“They’re going to be building as many launch pads as they can and launching as many of these gigantic rockets as frequently as possible and they want to do it on a very tight timeline,” he notes, saying SpaceX has plenty of money to do it and a government in Louisiana that is very compliant.
“They have everything that they didn’t have in place in Texas to move very fast, including relaxed environmental rules on the federal level,” Pappalardo explains. “They have a golden opportunity to move quickly here and when SpaceX has all those planets in alignment so to speak, they move very fast,” he went on to add.
Elon Musk has said he wants to launch as many as 30 times per day from Louisiana alone. That will require a lot of launch pads, and a lot of construction, but Pappalardo expects a highly motivated Musk to put the pedal to the metal so to speak when it comes to ramping up the Gulf Coast facility.
Elon Musk has said he wants to launch as many as 30 times per day from Louisiana alone. That will require a lot of launch pads, and a lot of construction, but Pappalardo expects a highly motivated Musk to put the pedal to the metal so to speak when it comes to ramping up the Gulf Coast facility.
Also, a Data Center in Louisiana
Florida-based ONE Nuclear intends to build Project Cayman near the RiverPlex MegaPark on a site about 90 miles northeast of SpaceX’s recently announced Starbase project, One Nuclear said in a statement.
Elon Musk’s 125,000-acre, $100 billion Starbase Louisiana project is designed to be the largest rocket launch facility on Earth.
FACING EXTORTION, SABRITAS (PEPSI) MIGHT LEAVE MATA, TAMAULIPAS
Key Facts About Sabritas and PepsiCo
Ownership: PepsiCo acquired the Mexican snack company in 1966. U.S. Counterparts: Sabritas is essentially the Mexican equivalent of Lay's and Frito-Lay. Popular U.S. chips like Cheetos, Doritos, and Ruffles are sold under the Sabritas name in Mexico.
Local Products: The brand also produces unique snacks made specifically for the Mexican market, including Sabritones, Rancheritos, and Crujitos.
Market Share: Sabritas controls a large majority of the salty snack market in Mexico
Wednesday, September 2, 2026
THE FINE PRINT: SPACEX'S $220 MILLION "DEAL" FOR DEANNEXING 444.5 ACRES COMES WITH CONDITIONS. CAN THE CITY MEET THEM?
Graphic for illustration purposes only
Special to El Rrun-Rrun
By Nadia Tamez-Robledo
MyRGVVarious Sources
Brownsville woke up the morning after losing its virginity to an empty bed. The City Commission had already approved the disannexation of 444.45 acres that SpaceX wanted removed from Brownsville’s jurisdiction.Then came the morning after.
City Attorney Will Treviño disclosed an important detail about the agreement: It has a two-year term, and money could have to be reimbursed if Brownsville fails to meet required milestones.
The controversial deal between the city and SpaceX to secure funding for major water infrastructure upgrades includes terms that will refund unused portions of the $220 million if the city fails to meet milestones, along with provisions to restart the flow of money.
SpaceX got the land. Brownsville got a clock.
And suddenly the question isn’t how much SpaceX promised. It’s how much of that up to $220 million Brownsville can actually receive and keep. Brownsville doesn’t have to guess how long major infrastructure takes. It already has a project to compare.
Take, for example, the Greater Brownsville Tech District that covers roughly 730 acres. Work began in 2025, yet roughly a year and a half later Brownsville has still been working through the first approximately 85 to 100 acres.
And this isn’t a complicated water-treatment facility. It is primarily the infrastructure necessary to develop industrial property — roads, electricity and utilities.
As late as January 2026, GBIC (now Greater Brownsville Economic Development Corporation, GBEDC) was considering a $1.17 million payment to BPUB for electrical infrastructure and equipment in Phase 1 West.
Now compare that with what Brownsville must accomplish under the SpaceX agreement.
The potable-reuse project involves treatment systems, engineering, specialized equipment, pumps, electrical systems, major pipelines, excavation, testing and connections into Brownsville’s existing water infrastructure.
Then add the Southmost Regional Water Authority expansion — another major water project that the City says could cost approximately $202 million for the potential full expansion.
SpaceX got the land. Brownsville got a clock.
And suddenly the question isn’t how much SpaceX promised. It’s how much of that up to $220 million Brownsville can actually receive and keep. Brownsville doesn’t have to guess how long major infrastructure takes. It already has a project to compare.
Take, for example, the Greater Brownsville Tech District that covers roughly 730 acres. Work began in 2025, yet roughly a year and a half later Brownsville has still been working through the first approximately 85 to 100 acres.
And this isn’t a complicated water-treatment facility. It is primarily the infrastructure necessary to develop industrial property — roads, electricity and utilities.
As late as January 2026, GBIC (now Greater Brownsville Economic Development Corporation, GBEDC) was considering a $1.17 million payment to BPUB for electrical infrastructure and equipment in Phase 1 West.
Now compare that with what Brownsville must accomplish under the SpaceX agreement.
The potable-reuse project involves treatment systems, engineering, specialized equipment, pumps, electrical systems, major pipelines, excavation, testing and connections into Brownsville’s existing water infrastructure.
Then add the Southmost Regional Water Authority expansion — another major water project that the City says could cost approximately $202 million for the potential full expansion.
Upgrades to the SRWA and BPUB facilities would increase water capacity by a combined 12.5 million gallons per day and later add another 10 million gallons per day.
Joesph Hollmann, board president of the SRWA, was asked by the commission during the meeting to give an overview of the challenges Brownsville’s water supply is facing. He said 30 percent of the roughly 22 million gallons Brownsville uses each day comes from the SRWA’s brackish water desalination plant, which filters aquifer water.
“The rest comes from the Rio Grande, which has long been a problematic source,” Hollmann said, because the water is shared with Mexico and its dams sit in high, dry desert areas.
The Falcon and Amistad reservoirs are at about 23 percent and 38 percent capacity, respectively, as of Friday. And BPUB’s own published schedule puts completion of its Water Renewal Project in 2030.
Brownsville has taken roughly a year and a half working through the first 85 to 100 acres of comparatively basic industrial infrastructure. Now it faces a two-year agreement tied to milestones for two much more complicated water projects. That comparison should concern every taxpayer.
The deal between the city and SpaceX to secure funding for major water infrastructure upgrades includes terms that will refund unused portions of the $220 million if the city fails to meet milestones, along with provisions to restart the flow of money..
“(These projects) gives us a way to reduce our dependency on the Rio Grande River so that if things go wrong, which they do, we are still independent of that water source,” Hollmann said. “The idea that we could step back from worrying about what’s happening in the Rio Grande, what’s happening way out west in Falcon Dam, is extremely important.”.
Hollmann said that aside from choosing to do nothing, the other option is taking out a loan to pay for the facility expansion, the cost of which would be passed on to customers.
“Other communities have kicked the can down the road, and they’re paying for it now,” Hollmann said. “Our other option is to pray for rain in West Texas.”
Projects that will be funded under the agreement include Quantum Leap, referred to as Project Quantum on meeting agendas, and it will double Brownsville’s capacity for water production, City Attorney Will Treviño said.
The water reuse project, estimated at $40 million, is underway and will allow the BPUB wastewater treatment plant to produce an additional 8 million gallons per day of potable water. It has $12.7 million in funding from the Texas Water Development Board. But it has taken a year since the state granted it in February 2025 for the cash to arrive in Brownsville.
The optimization and expansion of the SRWA facilities is estimated at about $202 million. The project would increase its water production capacity from 7.5 million gallons per day to 10 million gallons per day through desalination plant upgrades and the reclamation and construction of water wells. It would eventually raise capacity to 20 million gallons per day.
The agreement between the city and SpaceX, which the public saw for the first time on Saturday, funds “qualifying projects” up to $220 million. The city did not respond to a request for a copy of that agreement.
Under the terms, SpaceX will deposit $40 million into an escrow account for the BPUB project within 30 days after the agreement is signed. The remaining funds are to be deposited in six quarterly installments of $30 million and dispersed based on project milestones, Treviño said.
“I will say that SpaceX has additionally offered the use of their engineers, as well,” Treviño told commissioners. “BPUB has engineers in house but with any project, they have other work that they are working on right now.”
The SRWA project is pending design and was not in the works previously because of lack of funding, Treviño said.
“BPUB is stepping up the gas to get the design and engineering done for that project,” he added.
SpaceX would have the right to a refund if no qualifying project was identified within a year of the initial escrow deposit, a process that includes a “written resolution naming the project, describing scope, and committing funding subject to milestones,” according to the presentation.
If all of the $220 million is not committed to the project within two years, SpaceX would be entitled to a refund of uncommitted funds and suspend pending payments.
Even after a refund, SpaceX would fund “identified projects” up to $220 million within seven years of the initial escrow deposit. Suspended payments will also resume if contract conditions are met.
District 4 resident Rosemary Martinez told commissioners that Starbase has its own governing body, and it’s not them.
“They want (the property) to be deannexed because they don’t want the city ordinances to apply,” Martinez told The Herald while commissioners were in executive session. “That begs the bigger question: Why? There’s a cost to us that hasn’t been quantified because we don’t know. If they build a data center, then you’re paying to build the infrastructure for the water that you’re gonna use..."
(And to add gasoline to the fire, a local social media facilitator posted a job listing at SpaceX's Starbase site for a Data Center engineer.)
SpaceX Vice President of Starship Legal and Regulatory Sheila McCorkle confirmed that SpaceX was under contract to purchase the disannexed land from a private owner. She did not provide specifics on how it would be used but said projected water usage for the project, plus all other commercial and residential operations in Starbase, is under 2 million gallons per day.
The vote for disannexation came days before the commission’s Tuesday hearing on a proposed moratorium on data centers within city limits. But by deannexing the 445 acres, Starbase would have the final say on whether to approve a data center or not.
“Why are you blindly doing what that company asks you to? Why are you not being transparent?” Rosas, holding her baby on her hip, told commissioners during public comment. “Disannexing land for it to become a data center is a loophole that does not absolve you of responsibility. Yes, I’m assuming, but that’s all we have because no one is demanding answers.”
The vote for disannexation came days before the commission’s Tuesday hearing on a proposed moratorium on data centers within city limits. But by deannexing the 445 acres, Starbase would have the final say on whether to approve a data center or not.
“Why are you blindly doing what that company asks you to? Why are you not being transparent?” Rosas, holding her baby on her hip, told commissioners during public comment. “Disannexing land for it to become a data center is a loophole that does not absolve you of responsibility. Yes, I’m assuming, but that’s all we have because no one is demanding answers.”
IF YOU GET A CITY TRAFFIC TICKET IN BROWNSVILE AND SHOW A MEXICAN DRIVER'S LICENSE, ICE MIGHT COME LOOKING FOR YOU
Special to El Rrun-Rrun
The City of Brownsville has confirmed that the Police Department has launched an investigation into an apparent breach of local police protocol after at least three local residents with Mexican drivers' licenses were issued traffic tickets and soon after had ICE agents knocking on their door seeking them.
"We have strict rules that prohibit doing that," said Mayor John Cowen.
He declined to go into specifics on the probe initiated after learning about the incidents other than to say "We have started an investigation."
The first case that came to light was a 40-year-old Brownsville resident issue was issued a speeding citation August 12 by Brownsville Police Department officer and promptly paid it the next day (August 13) at City Plaza, only to learn that ICE agents had followed his wife as she left her home in their car.
The following day, he said his son was driving their truck and was stopped by ICE agents shortly after he left their home in a northern Brownsville neighborhood,
"And we have already heard that the same thing happened to at least two other people who were issued traffic tickets by Brownsville police and later ICE showed up looking for them," a family friend told El Rrun-Rrun on condition of anonymity. "We live on the border and a lot of people have dual citizenship or do business in Matamoros and have Mexican licenses to drive there. I thought the city couldn't get involved in stuff like this. Some of them might be visiting relatives here and give a local address. Then this happens."
Cowen did not say how long the investigation into how ICE obtained the traffic tickets and other private information of those ticketed will last or whether the city's stated policies will be changed as a result of the breach.
He sid that city police have not been empowered to enforce immigration law or to provide ICE with information on drivers who are cited for traffic offenses.
"We know that Texas Department of Public Safety is require to cooperate with ICE, but the city police aren't," he said.
Tuesday, September 1, 2026
DEANNEXATION CONSEQUENCES: CAN A DATA CENTER AT STARBASE BE FAR BEHIND?
MYSA
Despite massive public backlash, Brownsville city leaders approved “a really good deal” to forfeit more than 440 acres of land for SpaceX in exchange for $220 million in funding for future water infrastructure projects.
The Brownsville City Commission reached the unanimous but controversial decision late Saturday, August 29, after SpaceX issued a take-it-or-leave-it ultimatum that had city leaders concerned
Brownsville could lose jurisdiction over the land anyway, with nothing to show for it.
“It’s a really good deal. … I have all the trust and hope that we’re going to sort this out, but it needs to be done today,” said Sheila McCorkle, a Starbae resident and attorney who serves as SpaceX’s general counsel “for all Starbase matters,” according to LinkedIn.
Despite massive public backlash, Brownsville city leaders approved “a really good deal” to forfeit more than 440 acres of land for SpaceX in exchange for $220 million in funding for future water infrastructure projects.
The Brownsville City Commission reached the unanimous but controversial decision late Saturday, August 29, after SpaceX issued a take-it-or-leave-it ultimatum that had city leaders concerned
Brownsville could lose jurisdiction over the land anyway, with nothing to show for it.
“It’s a really good deal. … I have all the trust and hope that we’re going to sort this out, but it needs to be done today,” said Sheila McCorkle, a Starbae resident and attorney who serves as SpaceX’s general counsel “for all Starbase matters,” according to LinkedIn.
Brownsville officials questioned the forced urgency, but touted the agreements as a way to safeguard the city’s water in a region where long-term droughts and binational policy failures have already threatened supplies. But the hours-long meeting drew sharp criticism from Rio Grande Valley locals, who said they’ve been “left in the dark” over decisions that benefit corporate interests over a largely low-income community.
SpaceX proposed a two-part deal — deannexing 444.45 acres of undeveloped land near the Port of Brownsville, in exchange for up to $220 million for Brownsville to diversify its water supply. City leaders approved the two interdependent deals separately.
Brownsville Mayor John Cowen called the deals “take-it-or-leave-it.” If Brownsville refused or delayed the decision, even by 72 hours, SpaceX would keep the money and scuttle the as-yet unnamed project.
“No, that’s correct,” McCorkle said. “And it’s based on our own roadmap and plans. If this were to be drawn out… we would just have to pivot the project.”
In exchange for deannexing the land SpaceX promised to provide Brownsville $220 million in funding for two major water infrastructure projects — $40 million within the next 30 days for a potable reuse project, and another $180 million over the next year-and-a-half for an expansion of the Southmost Regional Water Authority (SWRA) brackish groundwater plant.
Officials said the first $40 million would allow Brownsville to speed up the timeline for a wastewater reuse project for which the city has already received $12.7 million in state funding. Meanwhile, the remaining $180 million will allow Brownsville to double its groundwater pumping capacity. Together, the projects could produce an additional 18 million gallons of water per day.
Why did SpaceX want Brownsville to deannex the 444 acres of land?
SpaceX was already under contract to purchase the land, which McCorkle described as being between the city landfill and the port. But she declined to discuss what SpaceX planned to build at the site.
Nor did she add why SpaceX felt it was so incumbent for Brownsville to give up its jurisdiction over the land. But Brownsville City Attorney Guillermo “Will” Treviño may have provided some clue. As a part of Brownsville’s jurisdiction, a portion of the 444 acres was already zoned for industrial use; however, some 100 acres were zoned for agricultural use. SpaceX would have had to seek city approval to change that, but that process will likely be far easier in Starbase, where two of the town’s three-person commission work for SpaceX.
“Starbase, depending on their ordinances, can bring it in as whatever zoning classification they… feel necessary,” Treviño said.
Land within a city’s limits is subject to the ordinances of that city, including how a property can be developed. Cities are also obligated to provide basic public infrastructure, like roads, and other public services, like police and fire protection, within their territories. Deannexing a property means the city gives up its jurisdiction and ability to control development.
Brownsville Mayor John Cowen called the deals “take-it-or-leave-it.” If Brownsville refused or delayed the decision, even by 72 hours, SpaceX would keep the money and scuttle the as-yet unnamed project.
“No, that’s correct,” McCorkle said. “And it’s based on our own roadmap and plans. If this were to be drawn out… we would just have to pivot the project.”
In exchange for deannexing the land SpaceX promised to provide Brownsville $220 million in funding for two major water infrastructure projects — $40 million within the next 30 days for a potable reuse project, and another $180 million over the next year-and-a-half for an expansion of the Southmost Regional Water Authority (SWRA) brackish groundwater plant.
Officials said the first $40 million would allow Brownsville to speed up the timeline for a wastewater reuse project for which the city has already received $12.7 million in state funding. Meanwhile, the remaining $180 million will allow Brownsville to double its groundwater pumping capacity. Together, the projects could produce an additional 18 million gallons of water per day.
Why did SpaceX want Brownsville to deannex the 444 acres of land?
SpaceX was already under contract to purchase the land, which McCorkle described as being between the city landfill and the port. But she declined to discuss what SpaceX planned to build at the site.
Nor did she add why SpaceX felt it was so incumbent for Brownsville to give up its jurisdiction over the land. But Brownsville City Attorney Guillermo “Will” Treviño may have provided some clue. As a part of Brownsville’s jurisdiction, a portion of the 444 acres was already zoned for industrial use; however, some 100 acres were zoned for agricultural use. SpaceX would have had to seek city approval to change that, but that process will likely be far easier in Starbase, where two of the town’s three-person commission work for SpaceX.
“Starbase, depending on their ordinances, can bring it in as whatever zoning classification they… feel necessary,” Treviño said.
Land within a city’s limits is subject to the ordinances of that city, including how a property can be developed. Cities are also obligated to provide basic public infrastructure, like roads, and other public services, like police and fire protection, within their territories. Deannexing a property means the city gives up its jurisdiction and ability to control development.
U.S. MARINE CORPS CELEBRATES 250 YEARS OF SERVICE; CELEBRATE AND REFLECT
By General Eric M. Smith, Commandant, USMC
Special to El Rrun-Rrun
Seventy four years ago, Army Major General Frank E. Lowe was quoted as saying, "The safest place in Korea was right behind a platoon of Marines. Lord, how they could fight."
That testimonial rings as true now as it did then, and will remain so tomorrow. As we celebrate the 250th anniversary of our Corps' founding, we reflect on nearly two and a half centuries of exceptional prowess, while also taking objective stock of where we are today and how we will prepare for future battlefields.
Our birthday provides us a chance to focus on the one thing common to our success in the past, present, and future: the individual Marine. Victories are not won because of technology or equipment, but because of our Marines.
Since 1775, Marines have fought courageously and tenaciously in every conflict our country has faced. Through the Revolution, the Spanish-American War, World Wars in Europe and the Pacific, conflicts in Korea and Vietnam, and operations in the Middle East, Marines consistently earned a reputation as the world's elite fighting force.
Since 1775, Marines have fought courageously and tenaciously in every conflict our country has faced. Through the Revolution, the Spanish-American War, World Wars in Europe and the Pacific, conflicts in Korea and Vietnam, and operations in the Middle East, Marines consistently earned a reputation as the world's elite fighting force.
We inherit and take pride in this reputation, evolved over time by Marines acquitting themselves with honor and distinction on every battlefield in every clime and place. Battlefields change, and Marines have always adapted to the environment and the changing character of war – but the reason we fight and win is immutable.
It's the individual warfighters, and their love for each other, that makes our Corps as formidable a force today as it has been for the past 250 years. It's our ethos and our unapologetic resolve to be the most capable and lethal fighting force that sets us apart from the rest.
Current events around the world remind us that peace is not guaranteed. While we are justifiably proud of our past and pay tribute to the remarkable warfighters who came before us, we understand that the stories of yesterday cannot secure our freedom tomorrow.
Current events around the world remind us that peace is not guaranteed. While we are justifiably proud of our past and pay tribute to the remarkable warfighters who came before us, we understand that the stories of yesterday cannot secure our freedom tomorrow.
We must be ready to respond when our Nation calls. It falls on Marines who are in uniform today to write the next chapter of our Corps. The solemn responsibility of maintaining our illustrious warfighting legacy rests upon your shoulders. I know that you are up to that task.
The battlefields of tomorrow are uncertain. The future characteristics of warfare are uncertain. But one thing is certain – wherever Marines are called, they will fight and win – today, tomorrow, and into the future.
Happy 250th Birthday, Marines!
Happy 250th Birthday, Marines!
And another view:
During his 34-year career, Marine Corps Major General Smedley Butler participated in military actions in the Philippines, China, Central America, the Caribbean during the Banana Wars, and France in World War I. Butler was, at the time of his death, the most decorated Marine in U.S. history. 
By the end of his career, Butler had received 16 medals, five for heroism. He is one of 19 men to receive the Medal of Honor twice, one of three to be awarded both the Marine Corps Brevet Medal (along with Wendell Neville and David Porter) and the Medal of Honor, and the only Marine to be awarded the Brevet Medal and two Medals of Honor, all for separate actions.
His expose, "War Is a Racket" is summarized below:
"I spent 33 years and four months in active military service and during that period I spent most of my time as a high class muscle man for Big Business, for Wall Street and the bankers.
"I spent 33 years and four months in active military service and during that period I spent most of my time as a high class muscle man for Big Business, for Wall Street and the bankers.
"In short, I was a racketeer; a gangster for capitalism. I helped make Mexico and especially Tampico safe for American oil interests in 1914.
"I helped make Haiti and Cuba a decent place for the National City Bank boys to collect revenues in.
"I helped in the raping of half a dozen Central American republics for the benefit of Wall Street.
"I helped purify Nicaragua for the International Banking House of Brown Brothers in 1902–1912.
"I brought light to the Dominican Republic for the American sugar interests in 1916.
"I helped make Honduras right for the American fruit companies in 1903.
"In China in 1927 I helped see to it that Standard Oil went on its way unmolested.
"Looking back on it, I might have given Al Capone a few hints. The best he could do was to operate his racket in three districts. I operated on three continents."
Monday, August 31, 2026
GOOD GOVERNANCE REQUIRES BEING A GOOD LISTENER...
THE DOCTOR SAYS:
(Click on ad at right to go to Dr. Laura's website.)
THE CART BEFORE THE HORSE? DON'T NEED NO DATA, EVENTS CENTERS, GAME CLUBS, QUICK LUBES, STORAGE FACILITIES
Special to El Rrun-Rrun
The City Commission of the City of Brownsville, Texas, in accordance with Article V, Section 12, of the Charter of said City, will convene a Regular Meeting, on September 1, 2026, at 5:00 P.M., in the Commission Commission Chambers, on the Second Floor of the Brownsville City Hall - Old Federal Building, located at 1001 East Elizabeth Street, Brownsville
5) Public Hearing and ACTION on FIRST of THREE PUBLIC HEARINGS on imposing a temporary moratorium on the acceptance, processing, and approval of applications for
*High-Intensity Data Processing Facilities
*Event Centers
*Private Game Clubs (maquinitas?)
*Automotive Quick Lube Facilities
*Self-Storage Facilities...
...within the City of Brownsville and its extraterritorial jurisdiction, pursuant to Texas Local Government Code §§ 212.131–212.139; and ACTION on Resolution Number 2026-121 directing the City Manager to initiate the process to adopt a 90-day moratorium on the aforementioned uses and ratifying direction to the City Manager to reactivate the City of Brownsville Environmental and Conservation Task Force that was tasked with providing advice and recommendations to the City Council regarding data center policies and development regulations. (City Manager's Office/ Office of the City Attorney/ Planning and Redevelopment Department)
Hypothetical 1: If City commissioner Nurith Golonsky's family owns, or has an interest, in storage units, should she be allowed to discuss or to vote on this item? Could it be construed as a conflict of interest to limit competition for her family's commercial enterprise?
Hypothetical 2: If Mayor John Cowen operates a warehousing (storage) business, could it also be construed to constitute a conflict of interest as well and prevent him from discussing and voting on this item?
Hypothetical 3: Have any commissioners received financial or in-kind political contributions from anyone operating such businesses?
Question: Do any of the city commissioners have interests in any of the above-mentioned businesses?
Sunday, August 30, 2026
SPACEX TO CITY COMMISSIONERS: "YOU DON'T HAVE THE CARDS." CITY COMMISSION VOTE IS UNANIMOUS TO DISANNEX 445 ACRES OF SPACEX-PURCHASED LAND
Special to El Rrun-Rrun
Various Sources
In the end, Elon Musk's SpaceX held all the cards.
They had:
*A Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU) between the City and SpaceX, Brownsville Public Utilities Board (BPUB), and Southmost Regional Water Authority (SWRA), to provides an initial $40 million escrow contribution followed by six quarterly payments of $30 million, for a maximum contribution of $220 million.
* An agreement that include potable reuse and wastewater reclamation capable of increasing water supply by approximately 8 million gallons per day, as well as an SRWA plant expansion capable of increasing supply by approximately 10 million gallons per day.
* Promises that additional water capacity expected to strengthen the community’s long-term water supply, support residential and economic growth, and provide greater resilience as demand increases.
* A chance for the city to increase SRWA production from 7.5 million gallons per day to 10 million gallons per day, with a long-term goal of reaching 20 million gallons per day. The initial optimization is estimated at approximately $46.8 million, while the potential 20-million-gallon-per-day expansion is estimated at approximately $202 million.
Photo Brownsville Herald
* A warning from SpaceX to commissioners that the company would only provide money to the water infrastructure projects if commissioners passed an ordinance formalizing the disannexation of approximately 444.45 acres, along with adjacent right-of-way, from the City’s corporate and extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ) boundaries. The property is located in Cameron County and is in the ordinance as part of Tract A, Share 7 of the San Martin Grant. the same night.* SpaceX Vice President of Starship Legal and Regulatory Sheila McCorkle dispassionately and succinctly confirmed that the $220 million for critical water projects would be off the table unless commissioners voted for disannexation that night.
* City staff told commissioners of the difficulty of securing funding for water projects at a time when drought endangers the future of the city’s water supply and when the Texas Water Development Board has $1 billion in project grants to disperse each year but receives $50 billion worth of proposals, officials said.
* SpaceX was in the process of closing on the purchase of the disannexed area from a private land owner. The vote came a few days before the commission is set to decide on Tuesday whether to adopt a moratorium on data centers in the city. Now, since the area will be disannexed by Brownsville, it will be up to Starbase to decide whether it will approve the construction of a data center there.
Dozens of speakers during the public comment portion, both for and against the agreement and disannexation. Supporters praised SpaceX’s economic contributions to the region while opponents expressed concern over environmental damage caused by the company and what some called bully tactics to push the disannexation forward.
(Rumors circulating among local construction contractors indicate that SpaceX may be in the beginning stages of constructing a data center on the land, a move that now rests in the hands of Starbase, and outside the control of the City of Brownsville, which still supplies water to Starbase and SpaceX launches.)
“Why are we rushing this? Why are we here on a Saturday?” one resident told a local braodcaster. “Why can’t we know what they’re going to do with the land? They say Starbase is a company town, but I fear we are becoming one, too.”
“Why are we rushing this? Why are we here on a Saturday?” one resident told a local braodcaster. “Why can’t we know what they’re going to do with the land? They say Starbase is a company town, but I fear we are becoming one, too.”
And – despite the overwhelming disapproval by the majority of the audience – the City of Brownville commissioners held nothing but one vote a piece. They folded.
The result?
Commissioners voted unanimously late Saturday night to voluntarily disannex more than 444 acres of land at the request of SpaceX after a tense, six-hour special meeting resulting in the $220 million agreement with the trillion-dollar aerospace company that held them over a rapidly emptying water barrel.
FORMER CAMERON COUNTY D.A. EMPLOYEE AND INMATE CHARGED WITH PROHIBITED SUBSTANCE IN A TEXAS CORRECTIONAL FACILITY LOCATED OUTSIDE CAMERON COUNTY
Claudia Garcia (left) and Robert Jonathon Vargas (right) were arrested on a charge of prohibited substance in a correctional facility. (Photo credit: Cameron County jail records)
Valley Central
HARLINGEN — Authorities arrested a former employee with the Cameron County District Attorney’s Office on Friday, according to District Attorney Luis V. Saenz.
Claudia Garcia is a former employee of the DA’s Office, according to Saenz, and was arrested Friday morning on charges of manufacture and delivery of a controlled substance and prohibited substance or item in a correctional facility.
(Cameron County Sheriff Manuel "Manny" Treviño said the pair was charged with introducing and possessing the prohibited substances in a Texas Department of Corrections facility located outside Cameron County, but were being held at the Rucker-Carrizalez Corrections facility in Olmito pending arraignment and a bail hearing.
"It didn't happen in one of our facilities," Treviño said.)
Robert Johnathan Vargas was also arrested on a charge of prohibited substance or item in a correctional facility.
Garcia and Vargas faced a judge on the charges Friday.
Saenz said D.A. and sheriff office investigators assisted with the investigation and arrest of Garcia.
“Her case will now be presented to the grand jury for indictment,” Saenz said.
Robert Johnathan Vargas was also arrested on a charge of prohibited substance or item in a correctional facility.
Garcia and Vargas faced a judge on the charges Friday.
Saenz said D.A. and sheriff office investigators assisted with the investigation and arrest of Garcia.
“Her case will now be presented to the grand jury for indictment,” Saenz said.
FRIENDS AND FAMILY FETE MICHAELA SANMIGUEL AT ELKS LODGE
(Ed.'s Note: Heralded as a birthday celebration for Michael (Mikki) Sanmiguel, the celebration that took place yesterday at the Brownsville Elks Lodge started as a party and bloomed into a full-blown birthday bash that lasted well into midnight Saturday as family and friends gathered to wish her a joyous day. La festejada sat at her table for mariachis and then ventured out into the tiles as visitors took a turn at the dance floor. Happy birthday, girl!)
Saturday, August 29, 2026
BREAKING: IS CITY 444-ACRE DISANNEXATION TO MUSK'S STARBASE MEANT TO PAVE THE WAY FOR DATA CENTER THERE?
Special to El Rrun-Rrun
In what is now an open secret, city and construction industry insiders say that the proposed disannexation of 444 acres by the city commission to Elon Musk Starbase will pave the way for the construction of a data center outside the jurisdiction of the City of Brownsville.
If the second reading of the disannexation passes through today's extraordinary city commission meeting, the decision to construct a data center - recently opposed by a majority of city residents -will be out of the hands of Brownsville and in the hands of Musk's company town Starbase
To add insult to injury, the water and electricity to be used by the proposed data center will be provided by the Brownsville Public Utility Board. More importantly, the city would lose any control over the construction and safety and environmental ordinances over the proposed data center.
The second reading of the disannnexation ordinance was scheduled to be decided upon at Friday's 4 p.m. meeting, but was postponed until today at 4 p.m. at City Hall.
Rumors abound that Musk's Starbase has been in confidential negotiations with city attorneys and officials to pass the second reading of the disannexation ordinance. A figure of around $250 million is mentioned as what Musk is offering the city in return.
Critics say that the annual taxable amount that the city would receive from the data center if it is eventually built is around $22 million a year. If the land is disannexed and the data center is built, that $22 million annual tax would go to Starbase with PUB and the taxpayers of Brownsville will foot the water extension costs and provide the enormous amount of water required.
A number of city commissioners like Gustavo de Leon, Linda Macias and Pedro Cardenas have been very vocal against a data center in the city citing water and electric usage and noise pollution. Will they vote to disannex anyway? If they vote to approve on the second and final reading today, they must come back during a regular meeting Tuesday to approve it officially as a city commission.
SpaceX already buys its water for the rocket launches aa dies Starbase and trucks them in from PUB. City sources say that SoaceX has promises to build a water desalination plant for the city.
"Musk is enforcing a non-disclosure requirement on the work crews at the alleged data center construction site," said a subcontractor working in another job near there. "They won't say it's a data center, but they won't deny it either."
VFW POST # 2035: "HONOR THE DEAD BY HELPING THE LIVING..."
Special to El Rrun-Rrun
The department's annual programs provide recognition for outstanding achievements by posts in all activities. An important part of the Veterans of Foreign Wars in Texas is the Ladies' Auxiliary, which also has districts corresponding to the VFW districts.
Though chartered as a fraternal organization, the VFW and its Ladies' Auxiliary continue to be the leading spokesmen for veterans' issues. The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States has been instrumental in the passage of all veterans' legislation concerning Texas veterans since 1921.
The objectives of the Veterans of Foreign Wars are fraternal, patriotic, historical, and educational. The motto is "Honor the Dead by Helping the Living."
Thus the VFW not only helps to protect veterans' entitlements but, as an organization, it works within the community through various service programs, Americanism programs, and safety programs.
Friday, August 28, 2026
JUDGE TO SCOTUS: IT'S UNCONSTITUTIONAL, STOP IN THE NAME OF LOVE SUPREMES!
By Nate Raymond
Reuters
BOSTON - A federal judge on Thursday blocked the U.S. Postal Service from implementing core parts of a new rule it adopted at President Donald Trump's direction that would tighten mail-in voting requirements ahead of the November congressional elections.
U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani in Boston issued a temporary restraining order at the behest of Democratic-led states and voting rights groups after the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday issued a ruling that led to the lifting of earlier injunctions blocking Trump's plans to restrict mail-in voting.
That decision led to a frantic effort by dozens of Democratic state attorneys general and voting rights groups including the League of Women Voters to renew their legal fight and secure an order that would prevent the USPS from enforcing a rule that was allowed to take effect on Wednesday.
In Thursday's ruling, Talwani said the rule risked preventing citizens from casting ballots by mail unless states secure the Postal Service's sign-off on the envelopes used for that purpose and upload information on each voter into an electronic portal run by the agency.
The judge said the agency had presented no evidence regarding fraudulent mail-in voting that would necessitate such a rule, which she said likely was unlawful and adopted in violation of the U.S. Constitution, which gives states the authority to administer elections.
"USPS's interest in correcting an unsubstantiated problem through likely unconstitutional means is dwarfed by the overwhelming risk of pervasive disenfranchisement of citizens who need access to mail ballots in order to vote," she wrote.
The restraining order Talwani issued will remain in place for 14 days while she considers whether to issue a longer-term preliminary injunction blocking the rule. The judge plans to consider whether to do so during a September 3 hearing.
Reuters
BOSTON - A federal judge on Thursday blocked the U.S. Postal Service from implementing core parts of a new rule it adopted at President Donald Trump's direction that would tighten mail-in voting requirements ahead of the November congressional elections.
U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani in Boston issued a temporary restraining order at the behest of Democratic-led states and voting rights groups after the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday issued a ruling that led to the lifting of earlier injunctions blocking Trump's plans to restrict mail-in voting.
That decision led to a frantic effort by dozens of Democratic state attorneys general and voting rights groups including the League of Women Voters to renew their legal fight and secure an order that would prevent the USPS from enforcing a rule that was allowed to take effect on Wednesday.
In Thursday's ruling, Talwani said the rule risked preventing citizens from casting ballots by mail unless states secure the Postal Service's sign-off on the envelopes used for that purpose and upload information on each voter into an electronic portal run by the agency.
The judge said the agency had presented no evidence regarding fraudulent mail-in voting that would necessitate such a rule, which she said likely was unlawful and adopted in violation of the U.S. Constitution, which gives states the authority to administer elections.
"USPS's interest in correcting an unsubstantiated problem through likely unconstitutional means is dwarfed by the overwhelming risk of pervasive disenfranchisement of citizens who need access to mail ballots in order to vote," she wrote.
The restraining order Talwani issued will remain in place for 14 days while she considers whether to issue a longer-term preliminary injunction blocking the rule. The judge plans to consider whether to do so during a September 3 hearing.
To read rest of article, click on link: https://www.newsbreak.com/news/4853641086585-judge-blocks-rule-implementing-trump-plan-to-restrict-mail-in-voting?s=dmg_local_email_bucket_3.web2_fromweb&emailId=Jj4bNka&uid=209603484&exp=nl_bucket_exp26q2_10pct-v4%2Cnl_bucket_exp26q3-v2%2Cnl_bucket_exp_26_3-v25%2Cnl_max_conversion_exp2-control%2Cs3_based_embedding_rollout-control&nl_tag=national_breaking
Thursday, August 27, 2026
LAW-AND-ORDER ABBOTT FREES ICE AGENT WHO SHOT MIGRANT IN MINNESOTA AND THEN LIED TO FEDERAL OFFICIALS
By Mitch Smith and Ernesto Londoño
New York Times
(Ernesto Londoño reported from Brownsville, Texas)
An immigration officer facing state charges in connection with a shooting in Minneapolis was released from jail on Thursday after Republican officials in Texas prevailed in an extradition battle with their Democratic counterparts in Minnesota. It is unclear whether the agent will ultimately answer those charges in court.
The officer, Christian Castro of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, had been jailed for the last three months in Cameron County, Texas, while Minnesota officials sought to have him sent north to face assault charges related to a shooting in January that wounded a Venezuelan immigrant.
Sheriff Manuel Trevino of Cameron County said Mr. Castro was released just before 7 a.m. local time.
The case has tested the limits of state powers in an era of deep political mistrust.
It is rare for federal agents to face state criminal charges for on-duty conduct, and the Trump administration has argued that the charges Minnesota prosecutors have filed against Mr. Castro are illegitimate. It is also exceedingly rare for one governor not to act on a request from another to extradite a criminal defendant, as Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas has done.
Because Mr. Castro did not agree to leave Texas, where he lives, Minnesota officials needed Mr. Abbott to approve a request to extradite him. But Mr. Abbott, a Republican, has so far declined to act on the request from Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota, a Democrat. Because Texas law limits detention in extradition cases to 90 days, Mr. Castro had to be freed on Thursday.
Minnesota officials have said they were worried that Mr. Castro would flee to Mexico if he was released, and they filed a lawsuit asking a federal judge to force the Texas governor to act. But Mr. Abbott’s lawyers said he needed more time to determine whether Mr. Castro was eligible for extradition. The judge sided with Texas on Wednesday, finding that there was no proof that Mr. Abbott was acting in bad faith.
Mr. Castro was among the thousands of federal agents sent to Minnesota last winter as part of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, which resulted in violent clashes between agents and residents, thousands of arrests and three shootings.
Mr. Castro was accused of shooting a Venezuelan man, Julio C. Sosa-Celis, on Jan. 14 after a long car chase and short foot pursuit with Mr. Sosa-Celis’s roommate.
State prosecutors said Mr. Castro fired through the door of a home, striking Mr. Sosa-Celis in the leg. They charged Mr. Castro in mid-May in state court in Minneapolis with four counts of assault and one count of falsely reporting a crime.
Mr. Castro, who returned to Texas shortly after the shooting, did not travel to Minnesota to face the charges. He was arrested in Texas in late May on a warrant from Minnesota.
Mr. Castro has not publicly addressed the charges against him, and he did not respond to requests for comment through a jail messaging system in recent months.
In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, federal officials backed Mr. Castro and accused Mr. Sosa-Celis and his roommate, who is also from Venezuela, of engaging in a sustained attack with a broom and a shovel.
Days after the shooting, Mr. Sosa-Celis and his roommate were charged in federal court with assaulting a law enforcement officer. But federal prosecutors dismissed the case in February after investigators determined, based on a video of the encounter, that agents had likely lied about the events that led to the shooting.
Federal officials have said they were investigating the agents involved in the shooting, though no federal charges have been announced.
(Ernesto Londoño reported from Brownsville, Texas)
An immigration officer facing state charges in connection with a shooting in Minneapolis was released from jail on Thursday after Republican officials in Texas prevailed in an extradition battle with their Democratic counterparts in Minnesota. It is unclear whether the agent will ultimately answer those charges in court.
The officer, Christian Castro of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, had been jailed for the last three months in Cameron County, Texas, while Minnesota officials sought to have him sent north to face assault charges related to a shooting in January that wounded a Venezuelan immigrant.
Sheriff Manuel Trevino of Cameron County said Mr. Castro was released just before 7 a.m. local time.
The case has tested the limits of state powers in an era of deep political mistrust.
It is rare for federal agents to face state criminal charges for on-duty conduct, and the Trump administration has argued that the charges Minnesota prosecutors have filed against Mr. Castro are illegitimate. It is also exceedingly rare for one governor not to act on a request from another to extradite a criminal defendant, as Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas has done.
Because Mr. Castro did not agree to leave Texas, where he lives, Minnesota officials needed Mr. Abbott to approve a request to extradite him. But Mr. Abbott, a Republican, has so far declined to act on the request from Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota, a Democrat. Because Texas law limits detention in extradition cases to 90 days, Mr. Castro had to be freed on Thursday.
Minnesota officials have said they were worried that Mr. Castro would flee to Mexico if he was released, and they filed a lawsuit asking a federal judge to force the Texas governor to act. But Mr. Abbott’s lawyers said he needed more time to determine whether Mr. Castro was eligible for extradition. The judge sided with Texas on Wednesday, finding that there was no proof that Mr. Abbott was acting in bad faith.
Mr. Castro was among the thousands of federal agents sent to Minnesota last winter as part of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, which resulted in violent clashes between agents and residents, thousands of arrests and three shootings.
Mr. Castro was accused of shooting a Venezuelan man, Julio C. Sosa-Celis, on Jan. 14 after a long car chase and short foot pursuit with Mr. Sosa-Celis’s roommate.
State prosecutors said Mr. Castro fired through the door of a home, striking Mr. Sosa-Celis in the leg. They charged Mr. Castro in mid-May in state court in Minneapolis with four counts of assault and one count of falsely reporting a crime.
Mr. Castro, who returned to Texas shortly after the shooting, did not travel to Minnesota to face the charges. He was arrested in Texas in late May on a warrant from Minnesota.
Mr. Castro has not publicly addressed the charges against him, and he did not respond to requests for comment through a jail messaging system in recent months.
In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, federal officials backed Mr. Castro and accused Mr. Sosa-Celis and his roommate, who is also from Venezuela, of engaging in a sustained attack with a broom and a shovel.
Days after the shooting, Mr. Sosa-Celis and his roommate were charged in federal court with assaulting a law enforcement officer. But federal prosecutors dismissed the case in February after investigators determined, based on a video of the encounter, that agents had likely lied about the events that led to the shooting.
Federal officials have said they were investigating the agents involved in the shooting, though no federal charges have been announced.
YOU CAN VOTE ANYWAY YOU WANT (BUT NOT BY MAIL) AS LONG AS I WIN
While the decision lifted a block that applied to some states, a nationwide block still remains.
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