Laredo Border Patrol Agent Indicted for Wife's Fatal Stabbing
Abel Garza faces murder and child neglect charges after police found his wife in a car with critical injuries near their home.
By Bianca Ricci ·
A domestic dispute in south Laredo has resulted in the first-degree murder charge against a federal border enforcement officer. The incident underscores the legal exposure of uniformed officials acting in private settings within their own jurisdiction.
Abel Garza, 30, was booked into Webb County Jail on Wednesday morning following an arrest at 6 a.m. His bond was set at one million dollars. Prosecutors filed the primary charge of murder for the death of Mayra Alejandra Landeros, 28. They also filed four second-degree felony counts, comprising two counts of endangering a child and two counts of abandonment of a child.
Laredo Police Chief Miguel Rodriguez stated that officers responded to a report of a man knocking on doors near Texana Street and Nocona Street just before 3 a.m. A police drone tracked a vehicle leaving the scene. When officers stopped the car, they located Landeros on the back floorboard suffering from critical stab wounds. She died at a hospital later that night. The event is recorded as the sixth homicide in Laredo for 2026.
Joe Baeza of the Laredo Police Department noted that the agency was working with the District Attorney’s Office to finalize the charges. Officers secured the residence and found the couple's two children safe inside. U.S. Customs and Border Protection confirmed in a statement that Garza is an off-duty agent with the Laredo Sector.
The agency’s Office of Professional Responsibility is currently reviewing the case. This internal review process typically determines whether an officer’s conduct aligns with federal standards of duty and personal conduct.
Source: WOIO
