Starr County Sheriff Rene Fuentes is being challenged by a longtime Border Patrol agent in the November 2024 election.

Alberto Olivares has law enforcement experience that he says would help him as sheriff.

“The ethics that were instilled and learned in the Border Patrol, that's something I want to bring here to the county,” Olivares said.

Sheriff Fuentes has held his position for 15 years, and he has decades of experience with the department in various positions before becoming sheriff.

“I could do everything. I know the patrol section, I know the investigations, I could investigate a homicide case right now,” Fuentes said.

Olivares says a priority for him as sheriff would be targeting street drugs with more deputies on patrol.

“I wanna have… a small unit dedicated to street level drug enforcement to support our children and to make our streets safer for them,” Olivares said.

Fuentes says he prefers to work with other agencies on those cases, and new units would require more funding. 

“It's up to commissioners court to approve that,” Fuentes said.

If Olivares earns the badge, he says he'd also build a new jail. 

“What I’m proposing is a thousand bed facility,” Olivares said. “Have 800 beds dedicated for the government or any other jurisdiction that may need those beds, and have 200 beds for our own use."

Fuentes told Channel 5 News a new jail isn't needed, and could be a strain on the county's finances 

“Starr County is one of the poorest counties, who’s gonna pay for that jail? You’re gonna break the county,” Fuentes said.

Election Day is Tuesday, November 5.

Early voting starts on Monday, October 21.

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