Rio Grande Guardian article, March 22, 2026
Greater Brownsville Economic Development Corporation CEO Gilbert Salinas apparently couldn’t resist the opportunity to show everyone how much he knew.
On March 22, while negotiations were under way and months before the official announcement, he did a presentation where he showed everyone there the confidential information of Saronic as the company planning to bring its operations to Brownsville, breaking the Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA).
(Governor Greg Abbott would make the official announcement much later – on July 16 – that Saronic Technologies, Inc. had chosen Brownsville to construct a next-generation shipyard. Salinas and GBEDC beat the governor to the punch, and the office of the governor noticed. Only the timely intervention by the lieutenant governor's office and D-27 Senator Adam Hinojosa with Saronic co-founder Dino Mavrookas mitigated the damage.)
(Governor Greg Abbott would make the official announcement much later – on July 16 – that Saronic Technologies, Inc. had chosen Brownsville to construct a next-generation shipyard. Salinas and GBEDC beat the governor to the punch, and the office of the governor noticed. Only the timely intervention by the lieutenant governor's office and D-27 Senator Adam Hinojosa with Saronic co-founder Dino Mavrookas mitigated the damage.)
Salinas' premature announcement caused other Valley mayors, other EDCs, and our California competitors to know who it was. Because of that, Saronic upped the bidding war and asked for another $7 million more in incentives.
Originally GBIC was only supposed to commit to $1 million and after his article and presentation they were forced to commit to $10 million of our tax payers money.
Insiders say that after they learned that the negotiations information got out, Saronic cut all communications with GBEDC and dealt directly with the State of Texas and The Port of Brownsville. As a result, we almost lost everything because GBEDC' board and CEO wanted to brag and be credited with snagging the deal.
He was displaying slides marked "confidential" while our competitors from across the Valley and other people in the room were taking pictures. Instead of economic development sophistication and expertise, it turned out to be reckless showboating. When you are trusted with a major prospect like Saronic, your job is to protect the deal, not use confidential information as a prop to make yourself look important.
And that is the real problem. Someone handling sensitive economic-development negotiations should inspire confidence and exercise discretion. Instead, Gilbert made himself look like the guy you have to worry about when something is supposed to stay confidential.
Nothing says “trust me with your multimillion-dollar project” quite like putting the confidential slides up for the whole room to photograph. No one was impressed by Gilbert, not even the reporter.
During the official groundbreaking for the project at the port Thursday, no one asked the GBEDC or any of its officers to take the podium or acknowledged that they were even there. So it was left up to Salinas' overpaid lambiscon cheerleader (Ruben O'Bell, $140,000 plus bennies with no one else allowed to apply) to praise his bosses. Acomodense!
18 comments:
These individuals require immediate removal from office. It is unsurprising that our property tax assessments continue to escalate annually. This initiative is attributable exclusively to Governor Greg Abbott.
Did he break the confidentiality agreement? If so, he must be terminated.
These people need to be removed from their jobs, yes. They are not elected officials and they have nothing to do with property taxes. With that said, Ruben es huevon, cut from the same cloth as Doro, pure laziness out of those guys.
10k jobs for 10k dead children or more.
Land of the slave, home of the slave owner.
How does Brownsville attract so many losers? One step forward and two steps back. This weed needs to be plucked from the Browntown garden.
I am not sure what it means, but Gilbert Salinas was not invited to see the Saronic operation in Louisiana Saronic also terminated discussions with Salinas and GBIC.
Gilbert is an idiot and a legend in his own feeble mind. Mark my words. His big head will get Brownsville in trouble some day.
Loose lips sink a ship.
It’s simple Gilbert, shut up.
MPLV. Juijuijui.
Oh! No! He is like Trumputo! FTP
All of the jealous people commenting here, LOL! Gilbert is a marketing and business genius. Brownsville is lucky to have this man because he would be more successful in a larger market.
You sound like you are unemployable.
Genius???? lol. Gilbert is an ATM for the city commissioners, mayor and board members. Posting AI generated articles and doing self grandiose articles isn’t marketing. Gilbert is an attention whore who thinks people actually think he’s smart. People are polite and don’t tell it to your face that you’re full of shit. They tell everyone else that they have no idea why they haven’t fired you . As soon as new commission comes in and mayor Gilbert and Ruben O’Bell are out.
Gilbert a genius???? Regrettably that big head does not encase a big brain. It does however encase an ego that is short on intelligence.
Genius??? Gilbert is as sharp as a mannequin with a big head but with less situational awareness. Give me a break.
9:36 AM still trying to find DJ gigs at age 33 … yes they are definitely unemployable
I agree with half of 7:59 Am statement, Gilbert is nothing special, there’s thousands of people capable of doing a way better job. The part I don’t agree with is when the new commission comes in part. This part of your statement tell me you don’t understand the structure of government. The COB has nothing to do with anything at GBIC or whatever it’s called now. They have their own board and it’s that board that hires and fires people.
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