Residents complain about road damage near raided business

RIO HONDO, Texas (ValleyCentral) — Residents in a rural area north of Rio Hondo have been complaining for years about the number of 18-wheelers parked near the homes, leaving them unable to sleep at night.

The neighbors called ValleyCentral asking for help and we set out to do just that. For years, neighbors who live on Chestnut St. off of north Reynolds Rd. near Rio Hondo would see and hear tractor-trailer rigs parked in front of their homes, often overnight. Sometimes blocking access to their own homes the engines running on the rigs not allowing them to sleep at night.

Signs on the road say the small street is not a truck route.

That was confirmed to ValleyCentral by Cameron County Public Works Director Carlos Sanchez.

“Chestnut is not designated as a truck route and the county does not have any intentions of dedicating it or designating it as a truck route," Sanchez said.

The petroleum trucks, many of them from Mexico, kept traveling on the road. That was until Wednesday when the company where the trucks were headed, Arroyo Terminals - which buys and sells crude oil, was raided by federal agents.

The owner, James Jenson was charged with fraudulently importing crude oil. Neighbors who ValleyCentral spoke to say the trucks have ruined the road and left it filled with potholes.

Although the residents would talk to me in person, none of them wanted to go on camera for fear of the federal charges against the company.

“In particular, this roadway is not designated or not built to support a heavy load traffic like they have been experiencing for the last year or more and so the wear and tear is a lot quicker, so it requires more attention and repairs on a more frequent basis," Sanchez said.

Sanchez says they will begin repairing the road next week as county crews will be heading to the area.

“Start leveling off the area, so the ruts and areas with potholes that have developed or leveled up and we are also going to address drainage on the roadway and look at some roadside ditches that the water flows easier in that area," he added.

The goal is to bring the road back to pre-existing conditions so neighbors can travel safely on it. Sanchez also says they will be exploring options to enforce the areas as a no truck route and hopefully put an end to a three-year problem.

ValleyCentral did call Arroyo Terminal for comment, but no one answered the phone.