In El Paso, the issue of drinking and driving has led to deadly consequences. Local law enforcement, lawmakers, families of victims, and advocacy groups are working towards change.
Data obtained from the City of El Paso shows a staggering number of repeat offenders, which leads to questions about accountability and punishment.
– In 2024, 124 people were arrested for DWI two or more.
– In 2025, 158 people were arrested for DWI two or more.
– In 2026, 51 people as of April 15, 2026 were arrested for two or more.
– In 2024, 161, people were arrested for DWI three or more.
– In 2025, 196, people were arrested for DWI three or more.
– In 2026, 63, people as of April 15, 2026 were arrested for two or more.
The number of deadly crashes involving alcohol has gone down from 30 in 2023 to to 19 in 2025, according to numbers from the City of El Paso. Local initiatives are hoping to drive change, some tackling the problem of alcoholism and helping turn the lives around of those who have been arrested. Families have also been working on initiatives and petitions to change laws at the state level to deter people from getting behind the wheel drunk.
KFOX14 anchor Jessica Gonzalez sat down with District Attorney James Montoya, Assistant Chief of the El Paso Police Department, Lieutenant Salvador Vergara with the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office DWI Task Force, and State Representative Vince Perez to to talk about the impact of drinking and driving in El Paso an what needs to change to save lives.
Anchor Jessica Gonzalez held a roundtable conversation about how to tackle the issue of DWIs in El Paso.