Texas
Tiny Texas City Repels Russia-Tied Hackers Eyeing Water System
When Mike Cypert got the call that utilities in remote Texas communities were being hacked, he raced across his office to unplug the computer that ran his city’s water system.
Hale Center is a dusty, cotton-growing burg of 2,000 about five hours drive northwest of Dallas. After the alert from a software vendor in January, Cypert, the city manager, said he found thousands of attempts to breach Hale Center’s firewall, some coming from an internet address that traced back to St. Petersburg, Russia.
Within minutes of the discovery, Cypert said he reported the episode to agents from the FBI and US Department of Homeland Security, who were already looking into related incidents in nearby Texas towns. One of the hacks caused a water tank in another city to overflow.
The attacks in Texas are the latest example of hackers — some of them tied to US adversaries — targeting America’s sprawling network of water utilities. In November, an Iranian-backed group attacked Israeli-made digital controls commonly used in the water and wastewater industries in the US, affecting organizations across several states. That same month, the North Texas Municipal Water District, which supplies water to more than 2 million customers, was the victim of a ransomware attacks.
Chinese state-sponsored hackers also attacked a water utility in Hawaii, the Washington Post reported in December.
“The water sector is poorly resourced and is under siege from three fronts. This is now Iran, China and Russia,” said John Hultquist, chief analyst at Mandiant Intelligence.
A spokesperson for the FBI declined to comment. The Department of Homeland Security didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
Read More: Iranian-Linked Hacks Expose Failure to Safeguard US Water System
Researchers at Mandiant, a unit of Google Cloud, found potential connections between the attacks on water utilities in Texas and one of Russia’s most notorious hacking groups, known as Sandworm. The group has been accused of repeatedly turning out the lights in Ukraine and hacking the 2018 Olympics Opening Games in South Korea. The US government says it is part of Russia’s military spy agency, but the ties between Sandworm and the Texas attacks are less than certain. “We’ve never seen them cross the line in the US like this before,” Hultquist said.
Among the other victims of the recent hacks was the city of Muleshoe, a 5,000-person community in northwest Texas. A resident called the city on January 18 to report a water tank overflowing. City staff found that they’d largely lost control of the system, took it offline and called the company that provides Muleshoe’s industrial control software, City Manager Ramon Sanchez said at a public meeting the next month that was covered by the Plainview Herald. The vendor told city officials that other area communities were seeing similar problems, Sanchez said at the meeting.
Sanchez didn’t respond to messages seeking comment.
That same day, a social media account called “CyberArmyofRussia_Reborn” posted a video that appears to show hackers manipulating Muleshoe’s industrial control system. Mandiant and other cybersecurity researchers believe Sandworm created and control CyberArmyofRussia_Reborn, which Hultquist described as a hacktivist persona. It’s possible that other cyber attackers are using its platforms, he said.
Andy Bennett, the chief technology officer of cybersecurity firm Apollo Information Systems, said there are various reasons why hackers might target small-town water systems. They could provide a “testing ground” for hacking tools intended for bigger targets, he said, or give foreign countries a way to scare Americans.
“Small-town America feels safe,” said Bennett, a former cybersecurity official for the state of Texas,”and if the water supply is in jeopardy, it undoes that.”
US intelligence officials are still debating whether Sandworm was involved in the Texas water utility breaches, according to people familiar with the situation who didn’t want to be named due to the sensitivities.
The Russian Embassy in Washington declined to comment.
US officials are especially worried about attacks by nation-state hackers on critical sectors of the US economy, like defense, dams, energy, financial services and water systems. Last year, the Environmental Protection Agency dropped plans to require states to assess water facilities’ cyber defenses. Republican lawmakers in three states called the oversight illegal, accusing the EPA of overreach. The White House said it would work with Congress to beef up the environmental watchdog’s authority.
The attacks on Texas utilities targeted at least two other communities. In Abernathy, hackers entered through a virtual network connection, but city staff caught them within 30 seconds and cut off the attackers as they were trying to change passwords, City Manager Donald Provost told Bloomberg News. Lockney’s city manager, Buster Poling, Jr., said his staff also caught the attack early and that it “really did not affect the city.”
Hale Center’s Cypert said he learned that other towns had been attacked when the city’s industrial control software vendor called telling them to “lock down.” Hale Center uses the same vendor as Muleshoe and a handful of other area communities, he said.
When the warning came in, Cypert said he rushed to unplug the ethernet cable from the computer that operates the water system. Hale Center wasn’t breached, but Cypert said in reviewing its security, the city’s IT contractor found what appeared to be a brute force attempt to crack Hale Center’s firewall — 37,000 tries in four days.
The attempts on Hale Center’s firewall came from IP addresses around the world but one was repeated over and over, Cypert said. The investigation traced it back to St. Petersburg and the city’s industrial control vendor, Morgeson Consulting in Lubbock, quickly got Cypert on a conference call with FBI agents already investigating the Muleshoe attack, he said.
Morgeson Consulting’s owner didn’t immediately respond to an email seeking comment.
Cypert said he later sent the FBI data from the attempts on its firewall. The city’s IT contractor, Ben Warren, also walked the investigators through some of the technical details, he said. The agents were impressed by Warren’s technical acumen and offered the city manager a piece of advice, Cypert recalled.
“Hang on to him,” they said, referring to Warren.
Copyright 2024 Bloomberg.
Topics
Cyber
Texas
Russia
Texas
This Week in Texas: $1500 for every Texas Household, ICE accountability, politics in sports
Saturday, July 11, 2026 11:10PM
This Week in Texas, we talk about the fatal shooting in Houston involving Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Our political insiders, Jacey Jetton and Shea Jordan Smith, offer their perspectives on that and the proposal from Democratic Gubernatorial Candidate Gina Hinojosa to give every Texas household $1500 from the state’s rainy day fund.
Also, a report on big drainage money that the City of Galveston might have let slip through the cracks.
And a look at the intersection of politics and sports, This Week in Texas.
Copyright © 2026 KTRK-TV. All Rights Reserved.
Texas
Texas Man Finds Hidden GPS Tracker in His New Truck: “They Didn’t Want Me To Find This”
A man in Texas, suspicious about his newly acquired truck, decided to take a look inside. To his surprise, he found a GPS tracker that was monitoring his every move. As expected, people online reacted as they normally do: a collective meltdown.
The man in question is none other than David Allen, also known as ToTouchAnEmu. He is a very popular content creator who has over 9.8 million followers on TikTok alone.
And while he shares a wide variety of content, one of his latest videos addresses this apparent breach of privacy. He detailed how he was surprised and overwhelmed as he went through the terms and conditions after purchasing his new truck.
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His dealer had signed him up and paid for a one-year subscription to CarRx, a platform and mobile app that monitors vehicles’ data. David, however, was not too thrilled to find out exactly what that meant.
Tracking Everything
For starters, he showed that, under the terms and conditions, CarRx would sell all collected information to third parties. David was not too worried about that.
Instead, he showed all the data that the platform collects from vehicles. Understandably, he was shocked.
Monitored information includes the car’s VIN, mileage, oil and battery status, fuel, and charging history. The platform can also track a vehicle’s location, speed, crash detection alerts, braking events, and even camera image and sensor data.
Finding the Tracker
David, still astounded by the revelation, knew that something was fishy. He asked, “I start thinking, how do they know all that information about my car if they don’t have some sort of GPS tracker on it?”
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And to no one’s surprise, and thanks to a Google search, it turns out that there was, in fact, a tracker installed in David’s truck. And not willing to let it slide, the man got to work immediately.
The Texas man searched for the tracker near the OBD port. He noticed a Y-cable right below it and found the tracker connected to it. The tracker had an IMEI, meaning that it had a SIM card in it, so tracking is pretty much a guarantee.
Viewers React Accordingly
Of course, David’s video caused a multitude of reactions. Some took issue with how he labeled his SUV a truck, but most viewers were worried about their privacy.
“We need data privacy laws stat!” one said. Another one commented, “This isn’t new, unfortunately. I used to work for GM; they track everything. In real time.”
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The latter comment seemed to echo the majority of reactions. Other users, former car dealership employees themselves, said the exact same thing.
If you want more stories like this, follow Guessing Headlights on Yahoo so you don’t miss what’s coming next.
Texas
Texas Rangers investigating City of Trinidad after water issues, controversial arrests, firings
Trinidad officials mum on Texas Rangers’ investigation
The Texas Rangers are investigating the City of Trinidad following controversial arrests and public water issues, but city officials still have yet to comment to FOX 4 about the investigation. FOX 4’s David Sentendrey has more.
TRINIDAD, Texas – After controversial arrests, alleged retaliatory firings and a litany of water issues, the Texas Rangers are investigating the City of Trinidad.
What we know:
The Texas Rangers confirmed to FOX 4 they have begun an investigation into the City of Trinidad.
“We can confirm the Texas Rangers are investigating. As this is an active investigation, we have no further information to provide,” the Texas Rangers said to FOX 4 in a statement.
Dig deeper:
The law enforcement agency’s investigation comes as multiple lawsuits have been filed against the city over retaliatory firings and controversial arrests related to the city’s water quality issues.
This week, former Trinidad City Administrator and Secretary Lindsey Patterson filed a lawsuit against the city, claiming she had “no record of discipline” when she was terminated in Feb. 2026.
Patterson’s suit claims she was fired after reporting to the Trinidad Police Department that “public funds belonging to the city were being held by private individuals.”
Former Trinidad City Administrator Lindsey Patterson
Trinidad’s current City Administrator, Cynthia Dosier, has been listed as a defendant in several of the lawsuits. She has not returned FOX 4’s request for comment since our first report.
On Friday, FOX 4’s David Sentendrey attempted to speak to Dosier at her office in Trinidad. Dosier had no comment when asked about the Texas Rangers’ investigation.
“It’s way bigger than just water”
What they’re saying:
Trinidad Mayor Dennis Haws previously called for an investigation by the Texas Rangers into the city’s now-public issues. He tells Sentendrey he’s glad that’s finally happening.
“I wanted people here to know that there is going to be transparency at the end of this,” Haws said.
“We need to know that our office is in order and I think the best way to do that is with a third party having eyes on it and finding out what really is going on here.”
Trinidad Mayor Dennis Haws
The investigation wouldn’t have come without Henderson County resident Jennifer Combs’ arrest for a Facebook post concerning the city’s water quality.
“To tell the story to someone they would think you were crazy. You know what I mean?”
She says she’s glad the Texas Rangers are investigating, but that the root of the issue remains: the city’s water issues.
“I’m just ready for all of it to calm down and what’s going to happen is gonna happen, and the rest needs to be done so we can get back to the real issues of fixing the water. People deserve clean water.”
Trinidad Water Saga
Timeline:
The saga in Trinidad, which claims less than 800 residents, began in May following Combs’ arrest over the city’s water issues.
Combs’ post stated that people had been hospitalized after drinking the city’s water. FOX 4 has not verified that anyone in Trinidad was hospitalized from drinking the city’s water.
A Henderson County grand jury declined to indict Combs, who has since filed a federal lawsuit against the City of Trinidad and Gregory which alleges she was arrested in “an act of deliberate political retaliation.”
Since our initial report, FOX 4 has continued to receive images of dirty and discolored water from the residents of Trinidad.
Trinidad officials have admitted the city has struggled to keep its water clean. Combs said the water “looks like the Trinity River.”
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) confirmed to FOX 4 it received a complaint regarding the water quality in Trinidad, and that an investigation is ongoing.
Woman arrested after Facebook post over water concerns
A woman in Henderson County was arrested earlier this month after she made a Facebook post about concerning water issues in the small town of Trinidad. FOX 4’s David Sentendrey sat down with the woman to hear her side of the story.
One day after FOX 4’s initial report on Combs, citizen journalist Winston Noles protested outside Trinidad City Hall with a sign with expletives targeting “bad cops.”
Noles was arrested and charged with misdemeanor disorderly conduct for the sign. The Trinidad Municipal Judge, Shellena Bivens, later dismissed the charge.
On Wednesday, May 27, Alex Estrada and Colby Reyes, two former Trinidad employees, filed a lawsuit against the city claiming the city administrator fired them without cause.
Reyes, the former Trinidad Water Clerk, says in the lawsuit that she was fired because she “refused to lie” on behalf of Gregory and City Administrator Dosier.
Reyes’ lawsuit claims Gregory publicly fabricated a story that Reyes was frightened by Noles in order to arrest him, in which Reyes says she put in writing she was “never offended” by Noles.
A law firm representing Estrada and Reyes and Consumer Wellness Center Labs are organizing free independent water testing for people on Trinidad’s water supply as the TCEQ investigation continues.
At a May 28 Trinidad City Council meeting, Judge Bivens was fired as the city’s municipal judge. The issue of water quality in Trinidad was never addressed.
Gregory, who made his first public comments since FOX 4 initially reported on the story, said he had “nothing to hide” in relation to Combs and Noles’ arrests.
Trinidad Mayor Dennis Haws suggested to Sentendrey that the Texas Rangers should investigate the city and its police department after the recent arrests and water issues have come to light.
Bivens is considering legal action against Trinidad, with her attorney saying her firing was unjust. “I’m a good judge. I’m a damn good judge,” Bivens told Sentendrey.
In June, a family in Trinidad alleged that after showering with the city’s water, their teenage daughter suffered a chemical burn.
An attorney for the family provided a preliminary water test strip result that showed “dangerous” free chlorine levels in the Logan family’s water. It remains unclear if Trinidad’s recent water treatment led to the Logans’ daughter’s rash.
A planned meeting for Thursday, June 4 to give an update on the city’s attempts to fix their water quality issues was canceled. Mayor Haws said he did not receive a reason for the cancellation, though a small protest took place outside the planned meeting.
Gregory resigned from his position as Trinidad Police Chief following the multiple controversies. His final day with the department was June 19.
Gregory has declined interview requests from FOX 4, citing pending lawsuits.
Following news of Gregory’s resignation, the Trinidad judge who approved the arrest warrant for Combs wrote a scathing letter against him and his police department.
McKee’s letter questions “the accuracy, completeness, and reliability of information presented” to him by two Trinidad police officers in relation to Combs’ arrest warrant.
What’s next:
Interim Trinidad Police Chief Cameron Beckham told Sentendrey over the phone he has a meeting with the Texas Rangers in the next few weeks and plans to fully cooperate with their investigation.
The Source: Information in this story comes from the Texas Rangers, the City of Trinidad and previous FOX 4 reporting.
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