Border Patrol agent charged with murder in wife's Laredo death

A U.S. Border Patrol agent has been charged with murder in the death of his wife in south Laredo, Texas.

Abel Garza, 30, is facing a first-degree felony charge for the death of Mayra Alejandra Landeros, who was 28. The incident occurred just before 3 a.m. Wednesday at a residence near Texana Street and Nocona Street. Police were initially dispatched to the area after receiving reports of a man knocking on doors and asking for help. A police drone captured footage of a vehicle leaving the scene as officers arrived. Officers stopped the car and located Landeros on the back floorboard. She had critical stab wounds and died later at the hospital. The death is the sixth homicide recorded in Laredo in 2026.

Garza was detained at the scene and identified as the driver. He is currently held at the Webb County Jail with a bond set at $1 million. In addition to the murder charge, he faces two counts of endangering a child and two counts of abandonment of a child. Each of these four additional charges is a second-degree felony. Officers found two children safe inside the home after the incident.

Joe Baeza of the Laredo Police Department said the suspect is in custody while the department works with the District Attorney’s Office to finalize the charges. Baeza noted that the agency is still in the process of formulating those charges.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection confirmed Garza is an agent with the Laredo Sector. The agency stated in a release that he was off duty at the time of the arrest, which took place at 6 a.m. The Office of Professional Responsibility is reviewing the case.