Victoria Cantu is having a particularly busy summer.
The South Texas journalist has recently taken on a new role as a weekend news anchor for CBS 4 and NBC 23 in the Rio Grande Valley.
Along with that, she was also preparing for one of the biggest stages of her life: the Miss USA 2026 competition.
Cantu is currently Miss Mississippi USA 2026 and is scheduled to compete for the national title on August 27 in Miami.
Before earning the Miss Mississippi USA title, Cantu was crowned Miss Rio Grande Valley USA 2026.
She later entered an open casting call for Miss USA and was selected to represent Mississippi at the national competition.
| Victoria Cantu Quick Facts | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Victoria Cantu |
| Profession | Television news anchor, journalist and weather broadcaster |
| Current station | ValleyCentral |
| Current role | Weekend News Anchor |
| Current stations | CBS 4 and NBC 23 |
| Current pageant title | Miss Mississippi USA 2026 |
| Miss USA | Miss USA 2026 contestant |
| Previous title | Miss Rio Grande Valley USA 2026 |
| Hometown | Edinburg, Texas |
| Education | University of Texas Rio Grande Valley |
| Graduate studies | Mississippi State University |
| Field | Applied Meteorology / Broadcast Media |
| Previous TV work | FOX Rio Grande Valley / Entravision |
| Miss USA date | August 27, 2026 |
| Miss USA location | Miami, Florida |
Who is Victoria Cantu?
Victoria Cantu is a television news anchor, journalist and weather broadcaster from Edinburg, Texas.
She built her broadcast career in South Texas, working in news and weather before joining ValleyCentral.
Her earlier work included roles with Entravision in McAllen and Fox Rio Grande Valley, where she appeared on morning programming as a news and weather anchor.
She has also worked in the Laredo market.
In August 2026, Cantu announced that she had joined CBS 4 and NBC 23 as a weekend news anchor serving the Rio Grande Valley.
The stations are part of ValleyCentral, a Nexstar Media Group operation in the region.
At the same time, she is preparing to represent Mississippi at Miss USA 2026 after being named Miss Mississippi USA 2026.
So, if you are searching for Victoria Cantu because of her television career, you will find her at the ValleyCentral anchor desk.
If you discovered her through the pageant world, she is the woman representing Mississippi at this year’s Miss USA competition.
Is Victoria Cantu Still With FOX?
No. Her current role is with CBS 4 and NBC 23 through ValleyCentral.
Her own professional profile previously described her as a news personality for FOX News in the Rio Grande Valley and Laredo, while recent reporting confirms her move to ValleyCentral.
Victoria Cantu’s Education
Victoria Cantu earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, where she studied mass communication and journalism.
She later continued her studies at Mississippi State University, pursuing a master’s degree in applied meteorology with a focus on broadcast media.
Her studies complement her work in television weather and could further strengthen her skills in broadcast journalism.
Victoria Cantu’s Career
Cantu’s television career has largely been built around the communities she knows best.
She is an Edinburg native, and her professional path has taken her through several South Texas media roles before bringing her back to a prominent position serving the Rio Grande Valley.
Early Career in South Texas
Cantu studied at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley and gained early experience in television news while there.
According to recent reporting, she worked as a part-time television news reporter while attending the university.
That experience gave her an early connection to the same region where she would eventually establish her professional career.
FOX Rio Grande Valley and Laredo
Cantu later worked with Entravision Communications in McAllen.
Her work included news and weather anchoring, particularly on Fox Rio Grande Valley in the Morning.
She also worked in the Laredo market, building experience in both general news and weather broadcasting.
Her professional profile also describes her as a weather anchor in the Rio Grande Valley and Laredo.
Joining ValleyCentral
In August 2026, Cantu began a new chapter by joining CBS 4 and NBC 23 as a weekend news anchor.
She can now continue telling stories and serving the Rio Grande Valley, a community closely tied to her career.
Her arrival also comes as ValleyCentral experiences several personnel changes in 2026.
Victoria Cantu as Miss Mississippi USA 2026
Cantu’s television career is only half of the story.
In 2026, she entered the pageant world more prominently and became Miss Mississippi USA 2026.
Before that, she was crowned Miss Rio Grande Valley USA 2026, connecting her pageant journey to her South Texas roots.
Cantu earned the Mississippi title after entering an open casting call in late July. This gave her a path to the Miss USA stage without following a traditional state pageant route.
Her selection came around the same time she joined ValleyCentral as a weekend anchor.
How Did Victoria Cantu Become Miss Mississippi USA 2026?
Cantu’s route to the Mississippi title is one of the more unusual parts of her story.
She had already been crowned Miss Rio Grande Valley USA 2026 when she entered the Miss USA open casting process.
At the end of July, she was selected to become Miss Mississippi USA 2026, putting her on the national stage for the 2026 Miss USA competition.
Cantu later shared her excitement about receiving her official Miss Mississippi USA sash and preparing to travel to Miami.
In a social-media post quoted by the San Antonio Express-News, she described reaching Miss USA as the result of years of early mornings, sacrifices, prayers and challenges.
Victoria Cantu and Miss Rio Grande Valley USA 2026
Before she became Miss Mississippi USA, Cantu held the title of Miss Rio Grande Valley USA 2026.
That title is especially meaningful given her background.
Cantu grew up in Edinburg and built much of her television career in the Rio Grande Valley.
Her pageant journey therefore began in the same region where she developed her professional identity as a journalist and weather broadcaster.
When is Victoria Cantu Competing at Miss USA 2026?
Victoria Cantu is scheduled to compete at the Miss USA 2026 pageant on Thursday, August 27, 2026, at 8:00 PM EST, in Miami, Florida.
She will represent Mississippi at the national competition.
If Cantu wins Miss USA, she would then advance to represent the United States at Miss Universe 2026, which is scheduled to take place in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on November 24.
For now, however, she is a Miss USA contestant, not Miss USA.
Victoria Cantu’s Miss USA 2026 Journey
The timing of Cantu’s pageant journey makes her story particularly interesting.
She has spent years building a career in television, often working early mornings and covering news and weather for South Texas audiences.
Now, she is balancing that career with the preparation required for one of the country’s biggest pageants.
Cantu has described the journey as the culmination of years of work and sacrifice.
In one recent post, she celebrated the countdown to the competition and thanked people who had followed her journey from news anchor to Miss Mississippi USA.
Her new television role makes that journey even more personal because she will continue working in the Rio Grande Valley while preparing to compete in Miami.
Victoria Cantu’s Connection to South Texas
South Texas is central to Cantu’s story.
She is from Edinburg and studied at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. She also built her television career in the Rio Grande Valley and nearby Laredo.
Her recent comments show how deeply the region shaped her life and ambitions.
Cantu has described the Rio Grande Valley as the foundation of her dreams, values and resilience.
That connection is also what makes her new ValleyCentral job especially fitting.
She is returning to a television market she already knows, this time in a more prominent weekend anchor role.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Victoria Cantu previously worked in South Texas television, including with Fox Rio Grande Valley and Entravision.
She entered the competition after being crowned Miss Rio Grande Valley USA 2026 and later became Miss Mississippi USA 2026.
Victoria Cantu is representing Mississippi at the Miss USA 2026 competition.
She would represent the United States at the Miss Universe 2026 competition in Puerto Rico.
Yes. She currently works as a weekend news anchor for CBS 4 and NBC 23 through ValleyCentral.
Final Take
Victoria Cantu’s story is unusual because two very different-looking careers have grown together.
She is a South Texas journalist, ValleyCentral anchor, meteorology student and Miss Mississippi USA 2026.
Now, she is preparing to travel from the Rio Grande Valley to the Miss USA stage in Miami.
For Cantu, the upcoming competition builds on the television career she has already created.
It allows her to connect with audiences, represent her community and take on a bigger public role.
On August 27, Cantu will move from the newsroom to the Miss USA stage.
Until then, Cantu will balance her ValleyCentral role with preparations to represent Mississippi at the pageant.
Check Similar Story: Hilary Golston Biography and Life Story
Sources / References
- San Antonio Express-News – Victoria Cantu joins ValleyCentral and prepares for Miss USA
- Houston Chronicle – Victoria Cantu’s anchor career and Miss USA journey
- FOX Rio Grande Valley
- Entravision Communications
- Mississippi State University
- Nexstar Media Group
- Miss Universe — Puerto Rico to host 2026 competition
