Patrol Officer Pablo Albidrez, Jr.

Pablo Albidrez, Jr.

Patrol Officer Pablo Albidrez was shot and killed as he approached a vehicle that narcotics officers had been watching driving away from the bank of the Rio Grande River.

Following a short pursuit, around 1:00 a.m., Officer Albidrez parked his vehicle in front of the suspect’s vehicle, and another officer parked behind it on Matamoros Street and Davis Avenue. As Officer Albidrez approached the suspect’s vehicle, he was shot and killed. The other officer returned fire, wounding one of the suspects before arresting both men.

The suspects, who were convicted felons on parole, were brothers ages 27 and 32. Their car had 300 pounds of marijuana and several illegal weapons in it. One was sentenced to life in prison, and the other was sentenced to death. The brother, who was sentenced to life in prison, died in 2021. As of 2024, the other killer is still on death row.

Officer Albidrez was a United States Army Vietnam War veteran who earned the Medal of Valor and had served with the Laredo Police Department for five years. He was survived by his wife and two daughters.