GOP Governor’s Top Aide Gunned Down At The Border

A well-connected Texas businessman and appointee of Gov. Greg Abbott was gunned down inside a McAllen business over the weekend, turning a busy Rio Grande Valley corridor into a homicide scene.

McAllen police said the victim was Eddy Betancourt, 61, of Mission, a prominent contractor and state commission member.

Officers were called Saturday afternoon to the 800 block of North Ware Road after a 911 caller reported a man on the floor who appeared to have been shot and was not breathing. When police arrived, Betancourt was unresponsive and had no pulse. Investigators said he appeared to have suffered a gunshot wound.

Betancourt was pronounced dead at the scene, and police are investigating the killing as a homicide.

On Sunday, authorities identified Reynaldo Mata-Rios, 60, as a suspect in the shooting. A McAllen Municipal Court judge issued a warrant charging Mata-Rios with murder, a first-degree felony.

Police said Mata-Rios told investigators he planned to turn himself in but had not done so as of Sunday afternoon. He is described as 6 feet tall, weighing about 195 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes.

Betancourt had deep ties to both the state government and the South Texas business community. Abbott appointed him in 2020 to the Texas Facilities Commission, the agency responsible for overseeing construction, maintenance and leasing of state-owned buildings. He was reappointed in 2023 to a term set to run through 2029, according to the governor’s office.

Beyond his state role, Betancourt was president of R&B General Construction Co. Inc., co-owner and president of National Tire and Wheel LLC, and a general retail partner manager for E2H Investment. He also served on the Hidalgo County Appraisal District Board of Directors and belonged to the McAllen Board of Realtors and the National Association of Realtors.

Police said the investigation remains active. No motive has been released, and authorities have not said whether the suspect and victim knew each other.

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