An illegal dumping hotspot in Weslaco is becoming a big problem for neighbors.

According to residents living on Dallas Drive near Westgate Drive, the neighborhood has turned into a magnet for unwanted trash.

“A lot of spillage comes to the street, and it’s being a nuisance, especially when we're driving by here,” Christina Medina said. “It’s kind of hard for us to drive by, especially if there's nails or something that may get in our tires.”

From mattresses to empty cans to stacks of tires, Medina said the overflowing garbage is attracting unwanted guests.

“When it’s so piled up high, and they don't come pick it up, you start seeing the critters like rats,” Medina said. “This has been an ongoing problem probably for the last year and it’s just gotten worse."

The Weslaco Code Enforcement Department said this is part of a growing trend. The department received nearly 150 reports of illegal dumping in 2025. Twenty of those calls were from Medina’s neighborhood.

“This area is a high level area where we do have dumping because there’s hardly any lights here," Weslaco Code Enforcement Supervisor Joe Gonzalez said. 

To fight back, the city is now installing cameras in the area that will send live images and real-time notifications directly to code enforcement officers.

“This camera is going to monitor this area,” Gonzalez said. “It’ll be out here monitoring any motions, and it’ll activate it, and we can get anybody illegally dumping out here."

For Medina, the eye in the sky brings a sense of relief and a hope for a cleaner start to 2026.

“This is our community, we want to have it clean,” Medina said.

The code enforcement department said they're hoping to get more cameras, and officers will be also actively patrolling neighborhoods.

Those caught illegally dumping could face fines ranging from $500 to $1,000.

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