Puente News Collaborative is a bilingual nonprofit news organization, convener, and funder committed to preserving local news as a public good by investing in newsrooms, supporting journalists, and filling critical gaps in reporting across the U.S.-Mexico border.
The collapse of local news
Number of news outlets along the U.S. - Mexico border
Number of news outlets along the U.S. - Mexico border
What Is Happening
Across the U.S., more than 3,200 local newspapers have shut down. Of the 25 counties along the U.S.-Mexico border, nearly half have only one or no newsroom at all.
Why It Matters
With the collapse of local news, communities see a concerning decrease in voter participation, civic engagement, and government accountability reporting, and corresponding increases in community polarization, government waste, and disinformation campaigns.
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Stories from the collaborative
A Tejano Star Tries to Tune the Valley Back to Blue
Palabra NAHJ | March 3, 2026
Cecilia Ballí
EDINBURG - Sitting inside the taquería El Portón here in Edinburg, Texas, tuba-tinged banda music wafting through the speakers, Bobby Pulido could easily pass for one of the many South Texas Latinos who drifted toward Donald Trump in the past two presidential races. He’s a rancher who spends time at the shooting range. Clad in a plaid shirt, cowboy boots, and a khaki baseball cap that reads “Texican,” Pulido talks easily about faith, family, and personal responsibility. But, he insists, the Democratic Party is still his party. Read more
Threat of US raid from Trump pushed Mexico to move on cartel leader: Source
El Paso Times | February 24, 2026
Steve Fisher
"El Mencho," the powerful drug lord ... who was fatally wounded when special forces stormed a hideout in Jalisco state, took extraordinary precautions, according to sources familiar with his operations who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes rarely allowed a phone near him because he feared a GPS signal might reveal his location. Read more
Inside El Mencho’s arsenal: high-powered weapons, 400 gunmen, drones and land mines
LA Times | February 24, 2026
Steve Fisher
MEXICO CITY — “El Mencho,” the powerful drug lord the Mexican army killed in a daring raid, had created what security experts say was one of the most advanced security operations devised to protect a cartel boss. His system relied on high-powered weaponry, nearly 400 gunmen, bomb-delivering drones and, sometimes, land mines. Read more
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In the news
Puente News Collaborative named as one of the 'Best of the West' for Immigration and Border Reporting
In the news
Puente News Collaborative named as one of the 'Best of the West' for Immigration and Border Reporting
"Alfredo Corchado, Eduardo Garcia and Dudley Althaus grab third place with 'Mexico is about to elect its first woman president, but many doubt that will ease cartels’ grip.'"