Roberto H. Gonzalez

Metropolitan Automotive Cluster and COSTEP Sign MoU to Strengthen Industrial Integration between Mexico and the Rio South Texas Region

Facing unprecedented challenges of drought, growing water demand, and aging infrastructure, water leaders from across the United States and Mexico convened in McAllen this week for the 2025 Rio Grande/Río Bravo Binational River Symposium. The three-day event, hosted by the Texas Water Foundation, aimed to “chart a shared 2050 vision for the river,” according to organizers, while strengthening cross-border collaboration.

Texas Regional Bank’s McAllen South McColl Branch hosted its Fourth Annual Veterans Celebration on Wednesday, November 5, honoring two of the Rio Grande Valley’s most respected veterans — Texas Senator Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa, 79, and Colonel Frank Plummer, turning 100 years old this year.

Texas Border Business By Roberto Hugo Gonzalez / Texas Border Business Index Nacional and COSTEP, the Council for South Texas Economic Progress, formalized a Memorandum of...

The municipal elections held in Edinburg, Texas, on November 4, 2025, delivered a clear message: voters opted for continuity, stability, and a growth-oriented agenda. According to local media coverage, including a report in Texas Border Business, turnout reached historic levels for the city, particularly in early voting.

The crowd at Omar Ochoa’s election-night headquarters could barely contain itself. Supporters waved flags, shouted his name, and stamped their feet as the unofficial results rolled in: Ochoa had decisively defeated former mayor Richard Molina, capturing 7,438 votes to Molina’s 3,493, according to unofficial Hidalgo County returns. The victory was clear, the atmosphere electric.

On October 10, 2025, JG Customs Forwarding LLC opened the doors to its new 40,000-square-foot warehouse in Pharr, Texas — a modern logistics facility built on vision, perseverance, and faith.

COSTEP, the Council for South Texas Economic Progress, and the National Chamber of the Transformation Industry (CANACINTRA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on July 29, 2025, at CANACINTRA’s national headquarters in Mexico City.

The City of Edinburg honored one of college baseball’s most respected figures on November 3 with the official dedication of “Coach Al Ogletree Way,” celebrating the legacy of the late University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) baseball coach who led the program for nearly three decades.

The City of McAllen has formally reached out to U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Patrick Duffy and members of Congress representing South Texas, urging the federal government to reconsider the proposed cancellation of Aeromexico’s international route serving McAllen International Airport (MFE). City officials warn that ending this service would harm regional connectivity, cross-border commerce, and economic growth across the Rio Grande Valley.