Texas House Committee on Trade, Workforce & Economic Development Hears Proposed HB 74 to Create Puerto Verde Port Authority District Amid Opposition
By: Ricardo E. Calderon, Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc., Copyright 2025
The Texas House of Representatives Committee on Trade, Workforce & Economic Development in the 89th Texas Legislature heard State Representative Heriberto “Eddie” Morales, Jr.’s proposed House Bill 74 to create and establish the Puerto Verde Port Authority District in Eagle Pass, Maverick County, Texas amid testimony both in support of and in opposition to the proposed legislative bill on Wednesday, April 9, 2025 in Austin, Texas.
Morales’ HB 74 is a proposed legislative bill to create and establish a special district and authority to be called the Puerto Verde Port Authority District in Eagle Pass, Maverick County, Texas, authorizing the District to impose assessments, fees, taxes, issue bonds, and have eminent domain powers over four real property parcels or tracts consisting of 3,322.57 acres in northern Maverick County to support the privately-owned Puerto Verde Global Trade Bridge Project (PVGTBP), including a private Tier 1 commercial freight vehicle international bridge (Puerto Verde Global Trade Bridge) and an international railroad bridge and line (Green Eagle Railroad and Line) just north of the city limits of Eagle Pass. The Puerto Verde Global Trade Bridge Project is wholly-owned by the private investment company of Puerto Verde Holdings, LLC, with Ruben Garibay as President and Chairman of the company, and investors from both the United States and Mexico.
HB 74 proposes to create a new governmental entity within Maverick County known as the Puerto Verde Port Authority District with all the powers of a governmental entity under Texas law, which the initial Board of Directors will be controlled and managed by five Board of Directors hand-picked by Puerto Verde Holdings, LLC, including Ruben Garibay, David Higgerson, Bobby Babcock, Rob Russell, and Benito Martinez, III. Only real property owners within the 3,322.57 acres Puerto Verde Port Authority District will be eligible to be elected Board of Directors of the new governmental district being created by HB 74.
In addition, a token two ex-officio Board of Directors will be allowed to be named by Maverick County Commissioners Court without any voting powers within the new governmental district being created by HB 74.
Furthermore, HB 74 seeks authority to allow the new governmental entity to create and establish a Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone and/or a Tax Abatement Zone within the real property boundaries of the Puerto Verde Port Authority District, as well as allow the District to borrow money as determined by its Board of Directors, issue bonds, notes, other obligations payable wholly or partly from ad valorem taxes, assessments, impact fees, tolls, fares, charges, fees, revenues contract payments, grants, or other district money or combination of those sources of money, to pay for any authorized district purpose.
At the April 9, 2025 Committee Hearing, Representative Morales introduced his HB 74 to the members of the Committee on Trade, Workforce & Economic Development. Morales stated HB 74 will be “transformative” for the economic development of Eagle Pass, Maverick County, and the south central region of Texas. Morales noted that the Puerto Verde Global Bridge Project is supported by U. S. Senators Ted Cruz, John Cornyn, and Congressman Tony Gonzales and Henry Cuellar.
Morales cited an economic impact study by Texas economist Ray Perryman and paid for by Puerto Verde Holdings, LLC, that estimates the City of Eagle Pass will receive $102 million in sales and revenue taxes annually, Maverick County will receive $145 million annually, and the Eagle Pass Independent School District will receive $125 million annually. Morales also noted the Puerto Verde Port Authority District will create up to 320,000 jobs in the community and surrounding region once completed, according to Perryman’s study. Morales urged the Committee members to approve his HB 74 creating the Puerto Verde Port Authority District.
The next speaker at the Committee hearing on April 9th was Eagle Pass and Maverick County community advocate Enriqueta “Queta” Diaz who spoke in opposition to Morales’ HB 74, stating that she was “against any corruption of violating the rights of people being represented.” Diaz cited a trucking study done by the American Trucking Transportation Agency of Ruben Garibay, President and Chairman of Puerto Verde Holdings, LLC, who is in the trucking industry finding that Garibay hired Mexican drivers at lower wages than American drivers, circumventing American laws. Diaz also argued that HB 74 has not complied with the notice requirements under state law, providing a lack of transparency to the community residents. Diaz alleged Ruben Garibay “may have received funds from a lobbyist which funds are coming from different elected officials federal campaign funds.” Third, Diaz alleged that “both Maverick County Judge Ramsey English Cantu and State Representative Eddie Morales have both benefitted from huge political financial support during their re-election campaigns from the applicant, Mr. Ruben Garibay.” Diaz told the Committee members she would provide them with documentation to support her objections and/or statements at the hearing. Diaz requested the Committee to deny HB 74 for lack of transparency with the community.
The following speaker at the April 9th Committee hearing was Ruben Garibay, Chairman of Puerto Verde Holdings, LLC, who stated that “Puerto Verde, although is a multi-billion dollar project, is just a small piece of Interstate 27,…the Ports to Plains, from all the way from Mazatlan, Mexico through Eagle Pass through Lubbock to Montana to Alberta, Canada…under the USMCA.” Garibay stated that “all of this is being done with completely private capital. This is part of our family office and we continue to do that with private capital.” Garibay added that “we have already concluded our environmental impact study, 57 days early because nothing was found.” The study was reviewed by 22 federal and state agencies with minimal mitigation recommendations. Garibay requested the Committee to approve HB 74.
The next speaker was Jessie F. Fuentes of Eagle Pass, individually and as a member of the Eagle Pass Border Coalition, who stated he opposes HB 74. Fuentes stated Puerto Verde proposes to build two international bridges over the Rio Grande River, which “has been maligned and mistreated over the last two years.” Fuentes added that since the inception from this project the community has turned out against the project, noting that the two bridges will be built on two creeks that are on the federal flood zones and an environmental impact study is being reviewed. Fuentes requested the Committee to deny HB 74.
The following speakers was Ross Martin, an attorney with the law firm of Winstead, PC, who paid for the costs of publication of the Notice of Intent to Introduce Legislation in the Maverick County Clerk’s Office on February 5, 2025, according to public records, and spoke in favor of HB 74. Martin stated that public notice of HB 74 was provided as required by state law and an environmental study was completed. Martine stated that Puerto Verde Holdings, LLC owns all of the property that is within the Puerto Verde Port Authority District. He requested the Committee approve HB 74.
The next speaker was David Hacker, a Texas citizen and retired U. S. Army Veteran, who spoke against HB 74. Hacker stated that he opposes HB 74 because Texas places emphasis on economic development at the expense of the local population. Hacker added that the Committee should review the impact of HB 74 on the surrounding property owners. Hacker also stated he opposed the use of foreign truck drivers at lesser wages than the use of American truck drivers. Hacker requested the Committee deny HB 74.
The final speaker was State Representative Eddie Morales who disputed the objections raised by the speakers in opposition to HB 74 at the Committee hearing. Morales acknowledged his deep respect for Jessie F. Fuentes, who spoke at the hearing. Morales stated that almost all international bridges on the Texas-Mexico border are built on a creek bed or flood zones and that Puerto Verde is no exception. Morales added HB 74 provides a framework with checks and balances. Morales stated that one individual (referring to Ruben Garibay) will have so much power in this development because “it’s his money to begin with and he has invested it through his company in the acquisition of both land in Mexico and in the United States, in Eagle Pass, to make this thing work.” Morales agrees that the Puerto Verde Port Authority District requires eminent domain powers for condemnation in the event the federal or state agency might request it to build something for security or other purposes.” Morales requested the Committee to approve HB 74 and that the bill will bring “transformative” change to Eagle Pass and Maverick County.
The Committee will now review HB 74 and be left pending for a Committee decision.
