Laredo, city in southern Texas, seat of Webb County, and a port of entry on the Río Grande. The city is connected to Mexico by two bridges across the Río Grande, one to Nuevo Laredo in the state of Tamaulipas and the other to the state of Nuevo Leon. Laredo is a leading commercial and tourist gateway to Mexico and serves as a trade and manufacturing center of a region in which livestock, petroleum, and natural gas are produced. Maquiladoras, twin-plant assembly organizations in which components made in the United States are assembled in Mexico and then sent back to the United States, operate in the area; they produce automobile components, electronic equipment, clothing, and plastic products. The area is served by Laredo International Airport. Laredo is noted for retaining much of the atmosphere of Spanish colonial times. The Nuevo Santander Museum Complex comprises restored buildings of Fort McIntosh, a U.S. Army camp established in 1849; a photographic collection; the Guardhouse, which contains World War I (1914-1918) memorabilia; and a science and technology museum. The Museum of the Republic of the Río Grande is housed in the building that served as the capitol of the republic. The city is the home of Texas A&M International University (1969) and a junior college. Every February since 1898 Laredo and Nuevo Laredo have marked the birthday of George Washington with a two-week fiesta.