Dirty Politics
We all know that DIRTY POLITICS is part of the game, but they put an extra special touch on it down in the Rio Grande Valley. And it gave us a chance to talk to County Judge Eddie Treviño, who we’ve been trying to talk to for more than a year.
Dirty Politics
The palm trees sway in the Valley breeze.
We’ve arrived at an advertised political event with the Cameron County Judge Eddie Trevino and one of his political supporters, Cameron County Sheriff Manuel Trevino.
“Make sure your family and friends get out to support myself, Eddie Trevino, your Cameron County Judge,” Eddie Trevino said.
Just look at the sparse crowd that’s showed up in this Brownsville parking lot. The attendance is not a great sign for the County Judge just days before voting starts.
“And I want to thank all the citizens of Cameron County who came out to join us,” Trevino said.
Maybe that’s why he never posted about the event on social media like he did a few days earlier when he was passing out food in Los Fresnos and Rio Hondo.
The former Brownsville mayor, has been Cameron County Judge for almost ten years and he faces a real challenge in his reelection. The biggest threat appears to be Brownsville Port Chairman Steve Guerra.
“I’ve led a team that has delivered real results, billions in investments, thousands of paying jobs for the people of Cameron County,” Steve Guerra said.
It was hard not to notice the billboards that are showing up around the county, painting Guerra as a criminal in an orange jumpsuit. That’s jail clothes.
“My name is Steve Guerra and I’m your candidate for Cameron County Judge,” Steve Guerra said.
“How many people have you lured and brutally beaten in Matamoros?” this one reads.
The billboards say they are paid for by a guy named David Munguia, a convicted drug dealer and car thief.
And when you dig deeper into the billboards, you see dirty politics at play.
“Guerra didn’t want to complain about the billboards, but it’s part of a ugly political battle down in the valley. We got so many friends in the Rio Gran Valley after all our investigations,” Wayne Dolcefino told the camera.
It all began in San Benito. Who could forget it?
“And you know what, the County Judge had ignored our requests for an on-camera interview for months,” Dolcefino told the camera.
So we returned to the Valley just to see Trevino, after he ignored our requests for an interview again.
After a long Commissioners meeting everyone else left.
Look at the empty parking spaces next to the courthouse.
Except for Trevino’s car.
He stayed at the courthouse until the last minute.
“He knew my folks were there. And I suspect he was trying to wait them out, but that doesn’t really work with us,” Dolcefino told the camera.
And when Trevino finally came out, he was flanked by a deputy sheriff and his media folks.
“My record is public. I’ve been in and out of public office for 25 years. I’ve been a lawyer for 36,” Trevino said.
We wanted to talk about the billboards and Trevino’s relationship with Munguia.
“So just to be clear you didn’t accept any-“ Peyton Heussner said.
“Accept what?” Trevino said.
“Help from one from David Munguia?” Heussner said.
“No, absolutely not,” Trevino said.
“I’ll work with you, Steve. God bless you,” David Munguia said.
It’s clear Mr. Munguia is a paid political advocate for sale.
Listen to his pitch on tape for five hundred bucks.
“You can pay me a bus ticket so I can get home, or you can write a check to my daughter. My daughter can go pick it up and she can cash it and then buy me a bus ticket,” Munguia said.
Guerra said he refused to pay the money.
Guess what we saw on Trevino’s campaign report, a 500 dollar payment to Dorian Munguia, that’s the daughter. Just what Munguia wanted from Guerra.
“She was doing some block walking and passing out pamphlets of material,” Trevino said.
“Well we have a recording of David Munguia trying to do the same thing,” Heussner said.
“Yeah he’s also helping,” Trevino said.
We wanted to take a closer look at the facts behind the billboard campaign.
It is true Guerra and some other guys got into a fight in Matamoros.
But it was 26 years ago.
He was just eighteen and the other guy was 17. No one ever got sued or arrested.
But the billboards may be another sign the County Judge thinks he is in trouble.
We even went to find David and his daughter at the address on the campaign report.
It’s on Tio Cano Street.
“I’m looking for David Munguia. Does he live here?” Heussner said.
“No, he doesn’t.”
If you believe this woman, they don’t even live there.
“This is my mom’s house. This is our house.”
Either she’s lying or Trevino’s campaign report is false, and Munguia isn’t the first drug dealer whose contribution Trevino has had to explain.
Months ago, the local media reported on Armando Aguilar.
Accused by the feds of distributing thousands of kilos of cocaine.
It sure looks like he used some of that drug money to give campaign contributions to Valley politicians.
Campaign records show he gave Treviño 14,000 dollars in just one year.
“Again my record is public. That individual that you’re referencing, as I understand it, gave money to every elected official in Hidalgo County. I don’t believe that means that just individuals like myself, that impugns. But unfortunately the particular individual has got, we can’t check for that. But you brought it to our attention. I’ll make sure that the individual never gives again to my campaign in the future,” Trevino said.
But based on our review of campaign records, Treviño never returned the money, he should
The Brownsville and Valley News has more than 24,000 followers in the Valley and has been beating up on Treviño non-stop, repeatedly putting his face on a rat’s body.
Accusing Trevino of selling out popular Boca Chica Beach to SpaceX.
Not everyone enjoys the thrill of a rocket launch. The environmentalists are up in arms. A town they say has been erased.
“This is very much a David and Goliath situation. We are one of the poorest communities in country, low income people of color, and we are dealing with the biggest bully on the planet.”
Trevino has lauded the company’s investment into the county.
“It’s huge. SpaceX has invested three billion and economic impact is over thirteen billion,” Trevino said.
“Can’t dispute that. But the county judge didn’t face questions in that interview about the potential conflicts of interest we have uncovered,” Dolcefino told the camera.
“My record is public. I’ve been in and out of office for 25 years. I’ve been a lawyer for 36,” Trevino said.
Trevino and his former law partner Conrad Bodden and another guy Juan Andrade are partners in a company called Santa Rita Neighborhood LLC. They own properties where the old town used to be.
On February 5, 2019, a company called 4 Salsas was created with Bodden, Andrade, and Eddie Trevino as partners.
Two weeks later Andrade and Bodden created another company called Core Construction. They got lucrative contracts to build houses in the area now called Starbase.
“People will look at the different qualifications, credentials, experience, the ideas, track record, and hopefully make an informed decision and we will see what happens,” Trevino said.
Treviño and the Sheriff have some explaining to do too.
After we returned to Houston from that campaign event, we confirmed something unusual about the new commissary contract at the Cameron County Jail.
It was won by Trevino’s business partner Juan Andrade.
“I was general counsel for PUB, so I didn’t set policy. Lawyers get paid for their time, and that particular amount of money, which is public knowledge, that was over a five-year time frame,” Trevino said.
But here’s what’s really weird. Usually companies get 14 to 21 days to submit proposals so taxpayers can make sure they get the best deal.
But look at this. The RFP for the new commissary contract was published on Feb 25, 2025. The deadline to respond was just three days later. That’s ridiculous.
And maybe that explains why Andrade’s company was the only one that responded.
We asked Treviño about another lingering question, the money his old law firm with Bodden made on the failed Tenaska power project.
1.9 million from the Brownsville Public Utilities Board, a lot of it while he was County Judge. Most of the money, 1.3, just for the Tenaska project.
A forensic audit of the utility disaster was not kind to Trevino.
Claiming the County Judge typically took five to seven months to produce the billing details.
“His role as board counsel was a potential source of conflict due to his elected position of Cameron County Judge.”
“I was doing work for PUB, so that was not my project,” Trevino said.
Trevino may have an incumbent disadvantage. When you’ve been in the same office for so long you make mistakes, like the one he made talking to flood victims complaining about drainage issues years ago.
“Do you want help, or do you want to bitch? You want to complain ok” Trevino said.
Will the County Judge also face trouble because of his continued attempts to get voter approval for an entertainment venue?
Voters have rejected his idea three times. He got a ten thousand dollar contribution from the property owner.
And the plan to evict the folks who run the popular Chapel by the Sea down in South Padre Island was widely attacked.
Trevino has a lot of explaining to do. We are here when he is ready to answer more questions.
“Appreciate y’all. Take care,” Trevino said.
“We will be watching the County Judge race closely as our investigation down in the Rio Grand Valley continues to expand,” Dolcefino told the camera.
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