This Week in USBP History, 9/12-9/18

1927

• Organizationally, the USBP has always prided itself on its involvement in various activities not exactly aligned with its primary mission set.  Examples are the thwarting an aircraft highjacking, providing assistance to the USMS during segregation issues, deploying to Los Angeles during the riots, etc, etc, etc...  This September 17, 1927 document is the earliest example of which I have found where the USBP stepped out of its traditional role.  In this case, Border Patrol Inspectors were making plans to provide security for Colonel C. Lindbergh and the Spirit of St. Louis which was schedule to land in Tucson.

1942

• USBP time-in-service insignia was implemented in 1928 with an amendment to the USBP's first Uniform Policy, General Order 42.  By 1942, the old bars and stars embroidered insignia (the image changes every 7 seconds) were discontinued to the modern stars as is evident in this September 16, 1942 document.

1943

• In 1924, the Bureau of Immigration had the United States decided into 35 immigration districts (See this document (pg. 93-94).  Through the years, immigration districts were reduced in number and were renamed regions.  Old timers from the INS days will remember INS regions.  By the time the INS was abolished in 2003, there were three INS regions.  This document from September 15, 1943, shows the reduction of INS immigration districts from 22 to 16.

1953

• The concept of a border fence is nothing new.  One of the earliest reports of a fence being built between the United States and Mexico was in Nogales in 1918.  In 1927, District Director Grover Wilmoth wrote a proposal to build a 2-fence system in El Paso where one of the fences would be electrified.  The next big push to build fence would occur in the early 1950's, both before and after Operation Wetback.  This September 18, 1953 document is a fairly comprehensive plan discusses the building 26.4 miles of new fencing and 5.6 miles of reconstructed fence in the Chula Vista and El Centro Sectors.

---

Newton-Azrak Award Actions

2017 

Felix A. Ortiz
Border Patrol Agent
Blythe, California
Rafael De Leon
Border Patrol Agent
Blythe, California
Juan Zuniga
Border Patrol Agent
Blythe, California
Alberto Lorona
Border Patrol Agent
Blythe, California
Victor H. Herrera
Border Patrol Agent
Blythe, California
Erik Herrera
Border Patrol Agent
Blythe, California
Reyes Fimbres
Border Patrol Agent - Intelligence
Blythe, California
Michael Rosamond
Supervisory Border Patrol Agent
Blythe, California
On September 13, 2017, at approximately 1:20 a.m., Arizona's La Paz County Sheriff s Office called requesting assistance. The Arizona Department of Public Safety had a subject being held at gunpoint subsequent to a traffic stop on Interstate 10 westbound at Mile Marker 57 in Arizona. Shots were fired at the trooper by the driver of a vehicle, who then fled the scene. The trooper remained on scene with one subject at gunpoint, unable to initiate pursuit of the fleeing vehicle. Agents from the Blythe Integrated Targeting Team (ITT) responded to the call for assistance.
 
Supervisory Border Patrol Agent Michael Rosamond assigned Blythe ITT agents to areas he believed the vehicle may be fleeing. Agent Rosamond witnessed a vehicle matching the description of the fleeing vehicle pass his position.
 
Agent Rosamond tried to initiate a vehicle stop; Border Patol Agents Juan Zuniga and Felix Ortiz assisted as secondary/backup agents. The driver failed to yield. Then, the vehicle began to pull to the shoulder, then slow rolled to a stop, in the westbound lanes. As the subject rolled to a stop, the driver exited the vehicle, shooting at the agents approximately four to five times. While under fire and with their vehicle being struck by gunfire, Agent Zuniga was able to return two rounds of fire. The driver fled toward the eastbound lanes on foot and hijacked a big-rig. Agents Zuniga and Ortiz continued the pursuit of the big-rig; Agent Rosamond remained with the vehicle and the driver of the big-rig to secure the scene as evidence.
 
As the driver was absconding in the hijacked big rig there was an exchange of gunfire with Border Patrol Agent Reyes Fimbres on the Exit 17 off-ramp.
 
Blythe ITT Border Patrol Agents Victor Herrera, Erik Herrera, Juan Zuniga, and Felix Ortiz experienced a further exchange of gunfire with the subject on Main Street in Quartzsite, Arizona. At this time the subject was driving the big-rig in reckless regard for public safety, creating the potential of injury, death and significant property destruction. Blythe ITT agents Rafael De Leon and Alberto Lorona arrived on scene to assist. After the final exchange of gunfire, the subject was in custody. Agents rendered first aid on the scene and Emergency Medical Service responded shortly thereafter. Despite their life-saving efforts, the subject succumbed to his injuries while in route to the hospital.