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Abbott demands Mexico extradite suspect in Texas commissioner’s slaying

By and
Published  January 2, 2026 3:03pm CST
Texas
FOX Local
Reynaldo Mata-Rios (left) has been identified as a suspect in the Dec. 27, 2025, killing of Eddy Betancourt (right). article

Reynaldo Mata-Rios (left) has been identified as a suspect in the Dec. 27, 2025, killing of Eddy Betancourt (right). (Texas DPS/Texas Facilities Commission / FOX Local)

The Brief

    • Authorities say Eddy Betancourt, a 61-year-old businessman from Mission, Texas, and a member of the Texas Facilities Commission, was shot to death Dec. 27 in McAllen, Texas.
    • Reynaldo Mata-Rios, 60, has been identified as a suspect in Betancourt’s death. Police say Mata-Rios said he would surrender but has yet to do so.
    • Betancourt was appointed to the commission by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott in 2023.

AUSTIN, Texas - Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has demanded that Mexico extradite the suspect named in the shooting death of a state commissioner over the weekend.

The backstory:

According to McAllen police, Eddy Bettencourt, a 61-year-old businessman from Mission, Texas, was found shot to death Dec. 27, inside a business on North Ware Road.

The suspect in his slaying was identified as 60-year-old Reynaldo Mata-Rios, who said he would surrender to authorities on a charge of first-degree murder. That has yet to happen.

Reynaldo Mata-Rios.

Reynaldo Mata-Rios. (Texas DPS / FOX Local)

What they're saying:

On Friday, Abbott, who appointed Betancourt to the Texas Facilities Commission in 2023, indicated that Mata-Rios had fled to Mexico. He invoked Texas’ 15th governor in his call for Mata-Rios’ extradition.

"I am formally demanding that President Claudia Sheinbaum and the Mexican government coordinate with the U.S. government to extradite alleged murderer Reynaldo Mata-Rios to Texas so he can face justice," Abbott said in a written statement. "Those who harm Texans must not be allowed to flee ‘across the Rio Grande’ and from there ‘taunt and defy the citizens of Texas,’ as Governor Coke stated almost 150 years ago."

Abbott said the Mexican government must "refuse sanctuary" to those who "murder Texans" if the country "wishes to be deemed a friendly power."

What you can do:

McAllen police urged anyone with information regarding Betancourt’s death or Mata-Rios’ whereabouts to call McAllen Crime Stoppers at 956-687-TIPS (8477).

FOX Local has asked McAllen police for an update regarding the investigation and the location of Mata-Rios.

The Source: Information in this story came from a written statement issued by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, the McAllen Police Department and previous FOX Local reporting.

TexasCrime and Public Safety