Crime in McAllen on downward trend in 2023

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January 19, 2024

112020.BARS_.jm_.011 — Bar goers enjoy a night downtown on Friday, Nov. 20, 2020, in McAllen. (Joel Martinez | [email protected])

Overall crime rates in the city of McAllen trended downward in 2023, though there were increases in certain crimes, including murder, shoplifting and stolen vehicles.

That’s according to figures released this week as part of the city’s annual crime report, which is compiled using the National Incident-Based Reporting System, or NIBRS.

The NIBRS categorizes criminal offenses into 24 categories that are further subdivided into 62 subcategories.

According to the crime estimate report, crimes against persons decreased 2.2%, while crimes against property went down by 2.4%, and crimes against society dipped 1.4%.

“Our community strives to prevent crime, to promote public safety, and to participate in the investigation of crime when it does occur,” McAllen Police Chief Victor Rodriguez said in a statement on Thursday.

In general, the city saw decreases in most of its violent crime offenses, including rape, aggravated assault and robberies. The one violent crime category that saw an uptick was murder, which falls under the NIBRS’ “homicide” category.

Though “homicides” went down 27% overall, the number of murders actually went up in 2023.

That’s because the NIBRS breaks homicide offenses into two categories: “murder and non-negligent manslaughter,” and “negligent manslaughter.”

The difference between the two categories lies in intent.

Murder and non-negligent manslaughter involves the willful killing of another, including due to a fight, argument, or while committing another crime.

Downtown McAllen on Friday, June 19, 2020, in McAllen. (Delcia Lopez | [email protected])

Negligent manslaughter, on the other hand, includes deaths that result from incidents such as hunting accidents, cleaning a firearm, and people killed by drunk or reckless drivers.

There were 11 total homicide offenses in 2023. Of those, seven were classified as murder or non-negligent homicide. That’s two more than occurred in McAllen in 2022.

Of those, more than 57% involved a firearm, while nearly 43% involved the use of a knife or other cutting instrument.

Police arrested four people on murder or non-negligent manslaughter charges, including three men and one woman, the data show.

The rate of sexual offenses, which includes rape, sodomy, fondling, and sexual assault with an object, went down by 12% overall.

There were 40 rapes reported in 2023.

Though that’s a decrease of three compared to 2022, the data show that almost half of the survivors were children and teens.

A total of 17 minors between the ages of 11 and 16 reported a rape to the police department, while one rape of a child under 10 was reported.

The majority of the alleged perpetrators were known to the victim.

According to the figures, 40% of the survivors were raped by someone in the NIBRS’ “family” category, which includes intimate partners, such as boyfriends or girlfriends. The other 60% were raped by someone in the “non-family” category, which can include an acquaintance.

There was also a substantial uptick in stolen vehicles.

The NIBRS figures show that 92 vehicles were reported stolen in 2023, compared to just 64 in 2022. That’s an increase of nearly 44%. Police were able to recover 33 of those vehicles.

November and July were the busiest months for stolen vehicles, at 17 and 15, respectively, followed by March, September and December, which each saw 11 vehicles reported stolen.

Pickup trucks made up two-thirds of the vehicles that were reported stolen.

When it comes to stealing other things, the data show that incidents in the theft category were down overall, however, thefts from buildings and via shoplifting increased 22% and nearly 15%, respectively.

In 2023, 186 thefts from buildings were reported in McAllen, versus 152 the previous year.

Meanwhile, shoplifting reports went up from 1,029 to 1,181.

The police department averaged one call for service every 3.7 minutes, for a total of 141,694 calls for service last year. That represents an increase of 3.5% compared to the prior year.

The highest call volumes occurred between the hours of noon and 7 p.m.

Editorial: Border issues require cooperation rather than confrontation

By

AIM Media Texas Editorial Board

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January 19, 2024

AP24012649492167 — Texas Department of Public Safety officers guard an entrance to Shelby Park on Thursday, Jan. 11, 2024, in Eagle Pass, Texas. The Justice Department on Friday, Jan. 12, asked the Supreme Court to order Texas to stop blocking Border Patrol agents from a portion of the U.S.-Mexico border where large numbers of migrants have crossed in recent months, setting up another showdown between Republican Gov. Greg Abbott and the Biden administration over immigration enforcement. (Sam Owens /The San Antonio Express-News via AP)

The waves of people coming to our borders seeking asylum is a crisis that has plagued our country for nearly a decade. It’s only getting worse as wars, failed governance and economic collapse around the world drive more and more people to flee their home countries and seek refuge in this country, which has long been a bastion of hope, freedom and economic opportunity. The numbers of refugees have overwhelmed U.S. officials as the backlog of requests for safe haven continues to rise.

Unfortunately, many public officials and candidates have turned the border crisis into a political football. This only complicates the issue and makes any resolution more difficult and lengthy.

They should recognize the need to put more heads together and brainstorm possible strategies, instead of firing potshots that worsen the political divide that make matters worse.

A good place to start would be for border governors — on both sides of the border — to stop using immigration for their political benefit and start exchanging information and ideas to seek possible solutions.

Riding aboard a U.S. Border Patrol SAFE boat, Texas Sen. John Cornyn is seen moving past two men fishing on the Mexican side of the Rio Grande near Anzalduas Park in Mission on Friday, Oct. 27, 2023. (Dina Arevalo | [email protected])

A good place to start would be to resurrect the Border Governors Conferences, an annual gathering that brought together the executives from the four U.S. and six Mexican states along our common border. The meetings led to bilateral approaches to common issues, and gave strength to border-related presentations and requests that were forwarded to both countries’ federal governments.

In fact, federal officials increasingly participated in the annual summits as officials from our own departments of Homeland Security, Commerce and Environmental Protection began attending and thus including a federal presence into the negotiating process.

Recently, however, individual governors, particularly Texas’ Greg Abbott, have boycotted the meetings. Reasons for their refusal to participate have ranged from the drug war to the threat of cartel encroachment across the border to, most recently, border security and immigration.

These issues, however, are best addressed on both sides of the border, and inclusion of all border states helps secure more reasonable, comprehensive strategies that have a better chance of success.

Two swimmers are seen on the Mexican side of the Rio Grande as two U.S. Border Patrol SAFE boats approach the docks at Anzalduas Park in Mission in Friday, Oct. 27, 2023. (Dina Arevalo | [email protected])

Immigration isn’t the only issue they need to address. Recent railway mishaps show the need to make sure trains from both countries are safe. In addition, Texas’ water infrastructure badly needs attention, as does Mexico’s increasing inattention to the water-sharing treaty between our two countries.

Moreover, immigration is an issue that plagues both countries, as most people seeking asylum here are not from Mexico but from Central America, Cuba, China and other countries.

These are complex issues that have plagued the border region for years, and are best addressed by active and frank exchanges of ideas. Grandstanding by politicians who place their own interests ahead of the public’s needs only make matters worse.

Border officials, beginning with Abbott, need to set aside their personal agendas and begin addressing the needs of the people they were elected to serve. If they don’t, voters should consider the need to elect other people who will.

City announces McAllen Marathon road, lane closures

By

Tami Cupples-Hernandez

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January 19, 2024

132587878_web1_012123.SCOTT_CRANE_RUN.jm_.008-scaled — Perla Perales reaches out for a cup of water along Main Street as she participates in the 10th annual McAllen Marathon Scott Crane Run at McAllen Convention Center on Saturday, Jan. 21, 2023, in McAllen. (Joel Martinez | [email protected])

Thousands of runners will take to the streets Saturday for the McAllen Marathon Scott Crane Run, and the city encourages motorists to allow additional travel time or to find alternate routes to avoid congestion in the area.

All races will begin from the McAllen Convention Center, at 700 Convention Center Blvd., including the marathon, half-marathon, relay marathon, 10K, 5K and Kids Final Mile. Runs will start at 7 a.m.

The outside lanes along the marathon route will be closed to motorists throughout the course, until the last runner crosses the finish line.

Main Street will be closed between Business 83 and Zinnia Avenue, and Business 83 between Main and South 35th Street will be closed.

In addition, southbound traffic on Main Street will be rerouted to Broadway, to use the signal at Broadway and Business 83.

“This is to allow enough room for the runners or the leading vehicle to make a right turn safely on to Business 83 heading towards the McAllen Convention Center from Main Street,” the city said in a news release.

McAllen police officers will be helping runners cross at major intersections along the route.

“There will be plenty of traffic control channeling traffic with cones and there will also be people along the route cheering runners as well, so drivers should be vigilant and patient,” the release stated.

For a complete look at the courses for the various races, visit www.mcallenmarathon.com/mcallen-marathon. For up to the date information on the marathon, follow the McAllen Marathon or city of McAllen on social media.

Georgia National Guard soldier charged in fatal McAllen drunk driving crash wanted

By

Mark Reagan

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January 19, 2024

A Georgia National Guard soldier who was stationed in the Valley on a border mission when she allegedly drove drunk and killed a Louisiana Army National Guardsman failed to appear for a hearing in her intoxication manslaughter case.

Now, 26-year-old Bianca Farmer has a warrant for her arrest.

She is facing an indictment charging her with intoxication manslaughter and intoxication assault causing bodily injury for the Sept. 5, 2021 McAllen crash that killed 23-year-old Nashyra S. Whitaker.

Court records indicate her attorney was notified of the Tuesday in-person hearing on Jan. 12. That hearing was then moved to Wednesday.

She didn’t appear and state District Judge Bobby Flores issued a warrant for her arrest, court records show.

The crash happened on a Sunday in the 100 block of North 23rd Street at about 2:24 a.m where police found a silver Ford F-150 with “major damage” to its left side near a large wooden pole.

When police spoke with the driver, Farmer, they smelled a strong odor of alcohol. Farmer claimed to only have one drink at a downtown bar before driving to a Hampton Inn when the crash happened, according to a probable cause affidavit.

“Mrs. Farmer (said) that she had been traveling north bound (sic) on 23rd Street when someone cut her off which caused her to swerve,” the affidavit stated.

Whitaker died at 3:52 a.m. that night.

The Military Times reported that the soldiers were assigned to Joint Task Force-North and were supporting U.S. Customs and Border Protection in the Valley.

Farmer had bailed out of the Hidalgo County Adult Detention Center on Sept. 8, 2021 on a total of $190,000 in bonds.

Harlingen elementary teacher publishes children’s book about a Valley favorite

By

Travis M. Whitehead

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January 19, 2024

132586685_web1_IMG_7658 — Harlingen CISD elementary school teacher Monica Velasquez has published a children's book called "The Wait Until Sunday For Pan Dulce." (Travis Whitehead | Valley Morning Star)

HARLINGEN – The little girl with the hair curly and wild sits on her bed grief stricken with sad eyes as she dreads waiting a week for her pan dulce.

She has just had her fill of pan dulce and she must await the return of Sunday for a refill of her favorites.

“On Monday I struggled to get out of bed, the thought of ‘molletes’ danced in my head,” says the girl with the round face in the book, “The Wait Until Sunday For Pan Dulce.”

The book by Monica Velasquez tells the story of a little girl yearning for pan dulce on Sunday with her family. However, that is only the surface interpretation. The book by Velasquez, a kindergarten teacher at Zavala Elementary, has a deeper and more poignant message for her young readers.

“It’s about keeping our traditions alive,” said Velasquez, 45. “It’s about keeping our families together, spending time together, making it an important aspect in everybody’s life, being able to share the traditions of pan dulce with your family and being able to reminisce and make memories, that’s very important.”

So important is family to Velasquez, a married mother of two children, the main character is modeled after her nine-year-old daughter Sophia. Velasquez sent photos of her daughter and pan dulce to an illustrator in Indonesia, and the result was a set of illustrations which depicted pan dulce in the Valley with an impressive accuracy.

When 9-year-old Sophie saw her image on the cover she exclaimed, “Mommy, it’s me!”

“Yes! It is!” Velasquez answered.

Velasquez understands very well this tradition and the importance of this tradition and its value.

“It’s a tradition in my family every Sunday,” she said. “Every Sunday my brother-in-law Javier, who I name in the book, brings pan dulce to my mother-in-law’s house. We wait until he comes and he brings us pan dulce and he usually get us our favorites.”

She reveals quickly those favorites in the book, and they are favorites much loved by Valleyites.

“A sweet ‘empanada’ is what I was about to snag,” reads one line.

“A savory ‘marranito’ was not far from my reach,” reads another. “Tiny ‘pan de polvo’ is what I thought of. Dreaming of biting a thick slice of pink ‘pastelito.’”

Certainly such descriptions would tantalize any imagination, even more so for her little kindergarteners. When she told them she was publishing a book, they did not show much reaction. When she said it was about pan dulce there was a big reaction, a pleasant reaction, and they began talking all about their favorite pan dulces.

“I think that my students and families are able to enjoy reading the book and being able to reminisce about their families and it takes them back a little bit with their families,” she said.

It appears now that perhaps the pan dulce in this is a figure of speech, an allegory, an emblem for the greater virtues of family and tradition and loyalty. Or maybe a motif. In the sitting down at the table for pan dulce it is seen as a sort of catalyst for intimacy and warmth and the commitment of family. It is the wheel around which everything revolves.

Velasquez knows this revolving of things very well, and knows it again each Sunday at the home of her mother-in-law where they wait for the arrival of the pan dulce.

“It’s more like sitting around a table waiting and just talking and reminiscing about memories,” she said. “My mother-in-law puts a full pot of coffee and we just sit around and enjoy a piece of pan dulce, and it’s something we long for all week until we get to Sunday.”

The teachers and administrators and students – in fact all the staff – are proud of their teacher and her achievement.

“We are extremely proud that one of our teachers has been able to fulfill her lifelong dream of being a children’s book author,” said Principle Beatric Cruz. “As a school we want to model learning by example, and having Mrs. Velasquez fulfill her dream as an author is an inspiration to our entire Zavala community.”

Mexican marines detain alleged leader of Gulf drug cartel, the gang that kidnapped, killed Americans

By

Associated Press

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January 19, 2024

Motorists pay a bridge toll at Gateway International Bridge in Brownsville Monday, March 6, 2023, to cross into Matamoros, Mexico. (Miguel Roberts/The Brownsville Herald)

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexican marines detained one of the top leaders of the Gulf drug cartel, the gang that kidnapped four Americans and killed two of them in March 2023.

The public safety department of the border state of Tamaulipas said the suspect was arrested in the neighboring state of Nuevo Leon, and identified him as “La Kena.”

That was the nickname the state previously listed on a Tamaulipas wanted poster for José Alberto García Vilano in 2022. Mexico’s national arrest registry said García Vilano was taken into custody on Thursday.

Mexico’s Navy Department said in a statement that marines had detained a suspect it called “one of the key leaders of one of the most powerful criminal organizations in Tamaulipas,” adding he was “one of the main targets of the Drug Enforcement Administration,” but did not provide his name.

Miguel Treviño, the mayor San Pedro Garza García, located on the outskirts of Monterrey and considered one of Mexico’s wealthiest communities, confirmed that García Vilano was arrested at a local shopping mall.

In 2022, Tamaulipas state prosecutors also identified García Vilano by a second nickname, “Cyclone 19,” and had offered a $150,000 reward for his arrest.

The Cyclones are one of the most powerful and violent factions of the now-divided Gulf cartel. The kidnapping and killing of the Americans has been linked to another faction, known as “The Scorpions.”

The four Americans crossed into the border city of Matamoros from Texas in March so that one of them could have cosmetic surgery. They were fired on in downtown Matamoros and then loaded into a pickup truck.

Americans Zindell Brown and Shaeed Woodard died in the attack; Eric Williams and Latavia McGee survived. Most of them had grown up together in the small town of Lake City, South Carolina. A Mexican woman, Areli Pablo Servando, 33, was also killed, apparently by a stray bullet.

The Gulf drug cartel turned over five men to police soon after the abduction. A letter claiming to be from the Scorpions faction condemned the violence and said the gang had turned over to authorities its own members who were responsible. A Mexican woman also died in the March 3 shootings.

“We have decided to turn over those who were directly involved and responsible in the events, who at all times acted under their own decision-making and lack of discipline,” according to the letter.

Weslaco school board interviews firms for $160 million in district projects

By

Omar Zapata

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January 19, 2024

Weslaco ISD school board — The Weslaco school board is seen in this screengrab of the district's meeting on Wednesday. (Courtesy: Weslaco ISD/YouTube)

WESLACO — The Weslaco Independent School District has started working on bond projects totaling $160 million by interviewing architectural and engineering firms for the first phase of the projects.

Holding workshops on Tuesday and Wednesday, the school board interviewed eight architectural firms and six engineering firms to assign for phase one bond projects.

In November, district voters passed Propositions A, B and C. Prop A asked for $140 million for construction, acquisition and equipment for district buildings and new school buses. Prop B and C each asked for $10 million for the construction, acquisition, rehabilitation, renovation and equipping of performing arts facilities and athletic facilities in the district.

Board president Jaclyn Sustaita said she is proud that district voters passed the propositions and puts trust in WISD to invest in their children.

“It speaks volumes of our community and how much we care about our kids,” Sustaita said. “We want to give them the best. Using taxpayer money and that the community trusts us as a board to take care of this for the kids, it’s amazing because to me it’s historical.

“We’ve never had this much to give to our kids and it’s an exciting feeling to see what can come ahead just by talking to these architects and engineers.”

Upon hearing five-minute presentations from each firm, showcasing their experience, strengths and previous work, board members then had the opportunity to ask the them questions for about 10 minutes.

Some of the questions asked regarded how much onsite management each firm takes when hired for a project, if the firm has been involved in any legal litigation over their projects and have they ever missed deadlines for projects in the past.

Board members then electronically ranked the firms to which specific project they think they are best for based on their qualifications.

Phase one bond projects included restroom and roofing upgrades, vestibules, field replacement, tennis court improvement, running tracks, lighting upgrades, fire alarm system upgrades and HVAC upgrades around the district.

Sustaita said the board usually has not held workshops like this in the past but wanted to keep a promise to the community to be as transparent as possible if the bonds passed.

“We want the community to listen to what’s going on because there’s always talk about compadrismo … And we try real hard to let the community know like, no, that’s not what it’s about … we want the community to know that we’re being honest and truthful and trying to be as transparent as possible with their money,” she said.

The board, with a ranking already in place, is set to vote on which firms will be hired for each project at the next regular school board meeting on Tuesday.

Harlingen CISD Firefighter Academy students practice dousing fires

By

Travis M. Whitehead

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January 19, 2024

132586008_web1_GRA-HCISD-Firefighter-3 — Students from the Harlingen Consolidated Independent School District's Firefighter Academy practice dousing fires during the week of Jan. 15 to 19, 2023. (Gilbert Anzaldua | HCISD)

HARLINGEN — The fire roiling from the dumpster gropes the air and the sky.

“Whoosh!” The water explodes from the hose where students from the Harlingen Consolidated Independent School District’s Firefighter Academy demonstrate their skills.

“Raise your hands, show me the right hand,” says an instructor to the students in their heavy protective gear and their tanks and their masks and their helmets.

“The more curtain that we have the more it’s going to protect us all around,” the instructor says, and the water blasting from the hose smashes against the dumpster and into the dumpster and clouds of thick dirty smoke roll into the air.

Students from the Harlingen Consolidated Independent School District’s Firefighter Academy practice dousing fires during the week of Jan. 15 to 19, 2023. (Gilbert Anzaldua | HCISD)

The young firefighters have spent this week demonstrating their skills at the Harlingen Emergency Operations Center at 24500 FM 509.

“Today the students are conducting live fire evolutions as part of their requirements from the Texas Commission on Fire Protection,” says Kris Armstrong, coordinator for the HCISD Fire Academy and captain in the Harlingen Fire Department.

“They have to do live fire evolutions as part of their curriculum for their certification to be certified fire fighters,” he says.

The students began demonstrating various skills on Tuesday and continued the following day. On this Thursday morning they are conducting three different burns: a dumpster burn, a car fire, and one involving an LPG – liquid propane gas – pressure cylinder.

“They are getting their self-contained breathing apparatus, and that allows them to breathe clean air when we are in a dirty air environment,” he says, looking on as other students lift their packs onto their shoulders.

The students move around with a swiftness that appears disproportionate to the jackets and the tanks and the heavy boots and the gloves; their movements also reveal a focus admirable for these students who understand very well the significance of their work and its danger.

“It could be really simple but at the same time you never know what people are throwing in there,” says David Olivares, 18, as he nods at the dumpster.

The hideous smoke seems to linger in a half daze.

“It could be something toxic, it could be extremely flammable,” says the Harlingen High School South senior.

They all seem intimately familiar with their gear and the purposes of their gear. One firefighter apprentice calls out to Aryana Claudio, 17, to keep moving so that her PASS alarm will not shut off.

“If you’re not moving for 30 seconds it goes off,’ says Aryana, a senior at Harlingen South, moving in her thick gear to keep the PASS on. PASS stands for Personal Alert Safety System. It is used to alert other firefighters that one of them is in distress.

This highlights a crucial element in firefighting: the importance of teamwork.

Says Olivares: “You want to make sure that when you go in with somebody that you come out with them as well because you don’t want anyone dying.”

Armstrong reflected early that while some students plan to pursue the firefighting profession as a career, others will take the valuable skills learned here with them through other aspects of life. On former student, he says, is attending university in Arkansas and is also working as a volunteer firefighter.

Olivares definitely wants to be a firefighter after high school as does Aryana.

She’s enjoying the day’s events.

“It’s amazing because you learn a lot because it’s our first time doing this,” Aryana says. “Our instructors help us with what we need to do to take out that fire.”

Aeromexico joins McAllen officials to promote direct flights to Mexico City

By

Benjamin Trevino

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January 19, 2024

132585861_web1_128418562-df66bfd784a4425e81b9f5d712422a31 — Vintage Mexican Air Force jets are displayed on a roundabout of the new Felipe Angeles International Airport, on the outskirts of Mexico City, Jan. 31, 2022. Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador is inaugurating the new airport, one of his hallmark building projects on Monday, March 21, 2022. (AP Photo/Ginnette Riquelme, File)

A top official with Aeromexico joined McAllen city officials to make one last push to promote McAllen International Airport’s upcoming direct flights between McAllen and Mexico City. The daily flights, which begin Feb. 1, were first announced last October and began booking in November.

“I’m very excited to be sharing the news about Aeromexico’s new service,” said Jose Zapata, Aeromexico vice president for North American and Latin American Sales. “This service will present a great opportunity to connect Mexico City, a city of 22 million people, with McAllen and the Rio Grande Valley.”

The McAllen International Airport has had both direct and indirect flights to Mexico City on at least three previous occasions, but none of them enjoyed long-term success. McAllen officials insisted things will be different this time around.

McAllen Mayor Javier Villalobos speaks during a news conference Thursday, Jan. 18, 2024, where the city promoted direct flights to Mexico City. (Courtesy of the city of McAllen)

“I think you know, we’ve had (direct flights) before, but we don’t anymore,” said McAllen Mayor Javier Villalobos. “But we see an opportunity, and that opportunity can only be developed if we keep on talking about it, and people realize what this is, and this is one hell of an opportunity.”

McAllen City Manager Roel Rodriguez said during the news conference that McAllen is the epicenter of the Valley’s economy.

“We continue to be great because of its amazing people, its committed leadership, and remarkable partnerships like the one with Aeromexico. We know this is just the beginning of an incredible journey,” Rodriguez said.

Zapata said the first flight from Mexico City to McAllen will depart late at night on Feb. 1. Daily flights will then begin Feb. 2. McAllen to Mexico City flights will depart at 6:01 a.m., arriving at Felipe Angeles International Airport at 7:44 a.m. The return flights will depart Mexico City at 2:58 p.m. and arrive in McAllen at 3:30 p.m.

USPS may transfer some McAllen mail processing to San Antonio

By

Mark Reagan

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January 19, 2024

The United States Postal Service has selected the McAllen Processing and Distribution Center for evaluation on its current operations and potential future use, including possibly transferring some mail processing operations to San Antonio.

In a news release, the agency said the review comes under the USPS’s $40 billion investment strategy to upgrade and improve processing, transportation, delivery networks and employee experience.

The USPS said the review will not result in a facility closure or “career employee layoffs” and that mail entry, the post office, station, branch retail and delivery services will not be impacted.

The review, however, could “lead to overall modernization and enhancement initiatives at the facility.”

“This specific facility review will inform the best allocation of resources and strategies to improve customer service and to achieve significant cost savings through operational precision and efficiency,” the release stated.

The modernization evaluation is the first step in USPS’s review and investment process of the McAllen Processing and Distribution Center.

The first item the USPS wants to review is whether it will transfer some mail processing operations from McAllen to San Antonio.

“A significant percentage of the mail collected in McAllen will travel across our wider transportation and processing network over significant distances to their final destinations,” the release stated. “Mail and packages destined for outside the McAllen area may receive better service and be more cost effectively distributed by aggregating it with mail and packages from other areas going to the same places that will likewise utilize the wider postal network and be transported significant distances from where the mail originated.”

The USPS will also examine whether efficiency can be increased while improving service regardless if a decision is made to transfer some processing operations out of the facility.

The new release said the USPS would do this by investing in the McAllen facility to redesign mail and processing operations to conform with modern strategies, equipment and improved employee amenities.

The USPS will also look at expanding operations in McAllen by adding a sorting and delivery center, which are currently being deployed throughout the country. These incorporate expanded retail functions and aim to increase local package delivery.

The release said regardless if mail processing is moved to San Antonio, “it is highly likely under those circumstances that the McAllen facility will be modernized and repurposed as a Local Processing Center, a Sorting & Delivery Center, or both.”

The news release describes McAllen as a “critical node” in the movement of mail and packages across the region.

The USPS is considering public input, which may be submitted at www.surveymonkey.com/r/mpfr-mcallen-tx.

If the USPS decides to make a change in McAllen, a summary of a Mail Processing Facility Review, or MPRF, will be posted on usps.com at least one week before a public input meeting.

After that, the USPS will hold a public input meeting for community members to provide additional feedback and perspectives.

“The Postal Service will work closely with its unions and management associations throughout the facility review and will continually monitor the impact of any changes that are implemented and will adjust plans as necessary and appropriate,” the release stated.