Abel Garza also faces child-related charges as investigators examine the couple’s prior reported domestic violence incidents in Laredo.
LAREDO, Texas — An off-duty U.S. Border Patrol agent has been charged with murder in the death of his wife after police found her critically wounded inside a vehicle following an early-morning domestic disturbance in south Laredo, authorities said.
Abel Garza, 30, is accused of killing 28-year-old Mayra Alejandra Landeros on Oct. 28. Garza faces one count of murder, a first-degree felony, along with two counts of endangering a child and two counts of abandoning a child, according to police and jail information reported by local news organizations. U.S. Customs and Border Protection confirmed that Garza is an agent assigned to the Laredo Sector and said its Office of Professional Responsibility is reviewing the case. The charges are allegations, and prosecutors would have to prove them in court.
Police Chief Miguel Rodriguez said officers were called shortly before 3 a.m. to a home near Texana and Nocona streets after receiving a report that a man was knocking on doors and asking for help. As officers reached the area, a police drone spotted a vehicle leaving. Officers stopped the vehicle and found Landeros critically wounded on the rear floorboard, according to police accounts. She was taken to a hospital, where she later died.
Garza, who was driving the vehicle, was detained, authorities said. Police later found the couple’s two young children unharmed at the residence. Prosecutors and police said the girls, ages 2 and 5, were placed in the care of Child Protective Services while officials worked to arrange a safe placement. Rodriguez said authorities were focused on making sure the children received appropriate services following their mother’s death.
The murder investigation has also drawn attention to earlier reported domestic violence incidents involving the couple. Webb County District Attorney Isidro Alaniz said investigators were reviewing that history as they built the case. Court records cited by KGNS show that Landeros had previously sought a protective order against Garza before later withdrawing it and filing an affidavit disputing her earlier account. Authorities have cautioned that investigators were still working to determine the circumstances surrounding the earlier cases and the events leading to Landeros’ death.
Garza had been arrested in January after a woman told police that he pointed a firearm at her during a domestic disturbance, according to prior reporting by the Laredo Morning Times. He was booked at the time on an aggravated assault with a deadly weapon charge involving family violence. The latest reporting also indicates authorities are reviewing additional previous encounters involving Garza, including another arrest and allegations connected to a protective order. The status and ultimate disposition of each earlier allegation were not fully established in the reports reviewed.
Investigators were continuing to collect evidence and conduct interviews after the killing. Rodriguez said the inquiry would include an examination of the couple’s history, including information from outside Texas. Prosecutors have said important interviews were only beginning in the days after Garza’s arrest, meaning investigators had not yet publicly provided a full account of what they believe happened inside the home before police intercepted the vehicle.
Published reports differed on the total amount of Garza’s bond. Initial reports from KGNS and AZFamily said he was taken to the Webb County Jail with bond set at $1 million, while a later Laredo Morning Times report said his combined bonds totaled $1.5 million. The difference appears to reflect the additional charges filed against him, though authorities had not publicly provided a complete bond breakdown in the reports reviewed.
Landeros’ death was recorded as Laredo’s sixth homicide of 2026, according to police. Authorities have not publicly identified a motive, and the investigation remains active. CBP said its internal professional responsibility office is conducting its own review while the criminal case proceeds through local authorities.
Garza remained accused, not convicted, of the charges as the investigation continued. Prosecutors said they expected to pursue the murder case while police continued gathering evidence and examining the prior domestic violence history involving the couple.
Author note: Last updated October 31, 2026.