WESLACO – A Regional Alert System notice was sent out for a missing 13-year-old girl earlier Tuesday.

Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Spokesperson Jena Palacios said the RAS is a local form of an Amber Alert and for endangered persons. Blue alerts indicate that officers are in danger.

The region is made up of Hidalgo, Willacy, and Cameron counties.

The alerts are only sent out to law enforcement agencies, ports of entry and media outlets.

“Well, these numbers are just total RAS alerts to date. So from 2017 to date, we have 29 RAS alerts that have been issued for 2017. In 2016, there are about 20. So there has been an increase,” said Palacios.

Palacios said police departments across the Rio Grande Valley are encouraged to register for the system.