Border Patrol agent charged with murder in wife's stabbing

Abel Garza, 30, was booked into the Webb County Jail with a one-million-dollar bond set for his release. The U.S. Border Patrol agent faces a first-degree felony murder charge for the death of his wife, Mayra Alejandra Landeros, 28.

Officers responded to a report just before 3 a.m. Wednesday at a residence near Texana Street and Nocona Street. The initial call described a man knocking on doors to ask for assistance. When a police drone detected a vehicle leaving the scene, officers pulled the driver over. They discovered Landeros on the back floorboard with critical stab wounds. She died at the hospital later that day, marking the sixth homicide in Laredo for 2026.

Garza is also accused of two counts of endangering a child and two counts of abandoning a child. Each of these four additional charges is a second-degree felony. Police confirmed the two children found at the home were safe. Joe Baeza, a Laredo Police Department representative, noted that the suspect is in local custody while the District Attorney's Office helps formulate the final charges.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection confirmed Garza works for the Laredo Sector. The agency stated he was off duty when he was arrested at 6 a.m. It also said its Office of Professional Responsibility is currently reviewing the case.