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Chief reports drop in overdose deaths, pilot patrols being tested in downtown heat map
Summary
Laredo-area law enforcement reported a year-to-date decrease in overdose deaths and described 2,811 overdose-related calls for service, a downtown/Sanmenato corridor concentration on the heat map, and a pilot deployment of targeted patrols with possible citywide expansion; coalition members discussed diversion programs and funding gaps.
Chief Ricardo Gonzales delivered a year-to-date overview for the coalition, reporting fewer overdose deaths than in recent years and reviewing call and enforcement activity.
"As you can see, we have a significant decrease," Chief Ricardo Gonzales said, summarizing the year-to-date trend. He told attendees the coalition recorded 2,811 calls for overdose-related response and that the city has concentrated activity downtown and along the Sanmenato corridor. Gonzales said fire personnel are involved in roughly 99% of the overdose responses the city attends.
Gonzales described a pilot deployment that concentrates patrols in those heat areas and said early results appear promising: "We did a pilot program. It seems to be working effectively. We're still monitoring the statistics and the numbers. So we might pretty soon launch it citywide," he said. The pilot is designed to increase presence in high-activity blocks and to coordinate law enforcement and outreach referrals to reduce overdoses and violent incidents tied to drug distribution.
Speakers also discussed diversion and treatment-first options for people arrested on substance-related charges. Coalition participants recalled earlier attempts to establish front-end diversion programs using Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT) grants and said judicial or prosecutorial support was a limiting factor at the time. "We tried really hard trying to get support from the community and the criminal justice system where we met up a lot of resistance," a presenting official said, noting the need for a judge willing to support diversion conditions.
Attendees discussed increasing real-time referrals to outreach teams and using grant funds — including opioid abatement settlement funds referenced by partners — to expand treatment positions. Coalition members flagged the operational challenges of sustaining grant-funded posts and noted that county and city general-fund investments were being explored to maintain programs longer term.
The chief's presentation included a heat map comparison for 2024 versus 2025 and highlighted enforcement increases tied to drug arrests this year; he also reported a decline in fentanyl recoveries. The coalition agreed to continue piloting deployments and to track outcomes for 2026 planning.
