This Week in USBP History, Vol. 88

May 7 - May 13

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INTRO

Good morning,

Welcome to another This Week in USBP History! ​

!!! NEWS FLASH !!!

Border Patrol Agent Travis Creteau holding the Newton-Azrak Award statuette.

On May 2, 2023, Border Patrol Agent Travis Creteau was presented the Newton-Azrak Award as described in the following::

On August 5, 2012, Border Patrol Agent Travis Creteau displayed exceptional valor and determination in a daring attempt to save the lives of two young children, Giuliana Figueroa and Lesette Silva, from a submerged vehicle in the Otay Reservoir. When the car, driven by Arlene Hernandez, veered off the road and flipped into the water, BPA Creteau acted selflessly and without hesitation.

Risking his own life and facing grave danger, BPA Creteau performed beyond the call of duty as he bravely dove into the murky waters multiple times to locate and extract the trapped children from the vehicle. His tireless efforts demonstrated remarkable strength, resolve, and an unwavering commitment to saving the lives of the children.

​Agent Creteau's courageous actions, along with the assistance of fellow U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents and civilians, stand as a testament to his exemplary service and dedication to the United States Border Patrol. His actions brought great credit upon himself and the United States Border Patrol.

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If you haven't already observed, my consistent aim is to craft engaging introductions that uplift the morale of the Border Patrol workforce and foster a sense of organizational pride. With that in mind, I'd like to extend an open invitation to everyone: If you're interested in contributing a guest blog, please submit your piece to [email protected]. Kindly ensure that your submission aligns with the overarching theme of bolstering workforce morale, promoting organizational pride, and offering effective solutions.

Now to today's intro!

​12 Steps to Becoming a Great Leader: Recommendations for U.S. Border Patrol to Improve their FEVS Score and Build Upon their Unique Culture

U.S. Customs and Border Protection, of which the Patrol comprises about 40%, has been ranked 419 out of 432 subcomponent agencies in the federal civilian government by the Partnership for Public Service based on the 2022 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey. To help USBP improve their FEVS score, I present 12 recommendations inspired by Simon Sinek's approach to leadership and the article, "How do you retain officers? Be a great leader." In this piece, I've attempted to marry these ideas together to make a comprehensive recommendation that may be beneficial to the U.S. Border Patrol. By focusing on the idea that "it's not about being in charge, but taking care of those in your charge," the U.S. Border Patrol can become a better organization with improved employee satisfaction and retention. To better understand the importance of these recommendations, let's first explore the unique culture of the Border Patrol and its origins. 
 
The Border Patrol's Culture and Origins:
 
As written in This Week in USBP History, Vol. 53, the U.S. Border Patrol's culture can be traced back to its early days, marked by the rugged independence and fearlessness of Immigrant Inspector Jeff Milton, and early Patrol Inspectors like Wesley Stiles. From its inception, the Border Patrol has been characterized by a strong sense of self-governance, honor, and courage. The organization's motto, "Honor First," reflects the higher purpose and authority that guides its officers in their duties.
 
The unique culture of the Border Patrol lives in its workforce and is codified in its awards system, the USBP Honorary Awards, which recognizes administrative excellence, heroism, valor, law enforcement actions, lifesaving efforts, and service. This culture has shaped the organization, enabling its officers to confidently step outside of their assigned lanes and pursue their goals fearlessly.
 
With this understanding of the Border Patrol's culture, we can now delve into the 12 recommendations to improve the FEVS score and build upon this foundation.

1. Know Your Agents: Great leaders are visible and engaged with their team. USBP leadership should spend time with their agents, understanding their strengths, weaknesses, and potentials. This will help create a more supportive and motivated work environment.  
2. Be Highly Principled: USBP leaders must embody the core principles of honesty, ethics, courage, and professionalism. By demonstrating these qualities, they will inspire trust and respect from their officers. Live Honor First!
3. Foster Success in Agents: Embed the Border Patrol's unique values, traditions, and code of ethics into ongoing training and development programs. Supervisors and managers should embrace the role of coaches, generously sharing their knowledge and experiences with their agents. While leaders may not always be able to participate directly in training sessions alongside their team members, they should actively support and encourage these learning opportunities, fostering camaraderie and a shared sense of pride in the organization.  
4. Recognize and Reward Great Work: Acknowledging agent’s achievements, both formally and informally, can boost morale and motivation. USBP leaders should make a conscious effort to recognize and reward outstanding work.  The USBP Achievement Medal ought to serve as a primary means of recognizing accomplishments and contributions that exceed expectation within the organization.
5. Be Great Communicators: Effective communication is vital for great leadership. USBP leaders should focus on improving their listening skills and conveying clear, concise messages.  
6. Be Fair and Firm: When addressing mistakes, leaders must take into account the Border Patrol's strong sense of self-governance and honor. Discipline should be balanced with maintaining the organization's high ethical standards, preserving officer morale, and respecting the weight of disapproval from fellow officers.
7. Encourage and Enable Agents to Do their Job: USBP leaders should support their agents in carrying out their duties, despite potential challenges such as political pressures or personnel shortages.  
8. Support Reasonable Work Conditions and Resources: Effective leaders are mindful of their team's well-being within the context of federal laws and regulations. Although supervisors may be limited in their ability to directly impact hours, pay, benefits, or budgets, USBP leadership can still focus on ensuring that their agents are equipped with the necessary tools for success, such as addressing the aging fleet, and fostering an environment where agent well-being is a top priority.
9. Reinforce Commitment to Officer Safety: USBP leaders should continue to emphasize the importance of prioritizing essential services, including emergency response and officer backup, particularly during periods of personnel shortages. By consistently focusing on these critical services, leaders can effectively allocate resources and sustain the organization's effectiveness, while acknowledging the significance of all USBP programs.  
10. Be Agents and Facilitators of Change: Embracing and managing positive change is crucial for organizational growth. USBP leaders should actively seek out opportunities for improvement and help their agents adapt to new circumstances.
11. Cultivate a Culture of Respect: Leaders within the Border Patrol should work towards fostering an environment of courtesy and helpfulness, ensuring that their officers feel valued and respected. By emphasizing these values and promoting a supportive atmosphere, leaders can help create a culture of mutual respect within the organization, enhancing both morale and overall performance.
12. Stay Positive: A positive attitude can be contagious and help to counteract the natural cynicism that may develop in law enforcement work. USBP leaders should strive to maintain a positive outlook for the benefit of their officers and the organization as a whole.

​Conclusion:
 
Improving the U.S. Border Patrol's FEVS score requires strengthening and building upon the organization's existing Esprit De Corps, rooted in its values, traditions, and honor. By following the 12 recommendations outlined above, USBP leaders—from first-line Supervisory Border Patrol Agents to the Chief of the Border Patrol—can foster a more positive and effective work environment that embraces the organization's unique culture, ultimately leading to better employee satisfaction and retention. Understanding and valuing the origins of the Border Patrol's culture, ensuring the effective use of USBP Honorary Awards, and addressing the challenges faced by agents, such as the aging fleet, will help leadership guide the organization towards continued growth and success.

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This week in USBP history, we begin on May 13, 1924, when the San Antonio District informed the Central Office about the number of additional guards required. Fast forward to 1928, a bill was introduced proposing the establishment of the Patrol as an independent agency under the Department of Labor. In 1968, 38 Patrol Inspectors were assigned to Washington D.C. and deputized as U.S. Marshals to provide assistance during the event called Resurrection City, and much more!

For the current week, there are no known anniversaries for Newton-Azrak Award actions. However, it is important to note that numerous actions have taken place with unspecified dates. As an example, in 1984, five individuals were honored with Newton-Azrak Awards, but the dates of their respective actions remain unknown. They are highlighted this week..

During this week, we solemnly remember seven fallen heroes, including Hector R. Clark and Eduardo Rojas, Jr., who tragically lost their lives in the same incident in 2011. It is with a heavy heart that we acknowledge the nine separate occasions on which the USBP has experienced the devastating loss of two Agents/Inspectors in a single event, totaling 18 fallen. We honor their memory and sacrifice, with their names listed below:

1. Donald Kee and William F. Buckelew in 1954
2. Douglas C. Shute and James M. Carter in 1956
3. Theodore L. Newton, Jr. and George F. Azrak in 1967
4. Friedrich Karl and John S. Blue in 1973
5. Susan L. Rodriguez and Ricardo G. Salinas in 1998
6. Jesus de la Ossa and Thomas J. Williams in 1998​
7. Travis W. Attaway and Jeremy M. Wilson in 2004
8. Ramon Nevarez, Jr. and David J. Tourscher in 2007
9. Hector R. Clark and Eduardo Rojas,  Jr. in 2011

Daniel P. Cox and Edgardo Acosta-Feliciano both fell on July 31, 2021.  However, their causes of death were not related.

Enjoy and have a great week!

​Cliff
PS - 

• As an open and continuous invitation to current and former USBP employees, I am always accepting photos to post in the USBP Photo Galleries and in the Upholding Honor First pages.  I sure would appreciate you visiting those pages and sending me anything that you think I could post (just send them to [email protected]).
• As always, make sure to explore all of the hyperlinks to the documents and pages.
• Finally, please forward this blog to whomever you think may enjoy it.

​ESPRIT DE CORPS

The workplace climate resulting from a combination of organizational pride and employee morale.

• Organizational pride is the positive feeling experienced by employees from being part of a meaningful team that is rich in history, tradition and culture.
• Employee morale is the feeling experienced by employee based in part on their perception of:
  • Being valued by the organization,
  • Fairly compensated, and
  • Performing meaningful work.

 
Esprit de corps is reinforced through the shared goals, mission and values of the organization and its employees.

The definition turns Esprit de Corps into a simple formula and defines parts that comprise organizational pride and employee morale.

Esprit de Corps = Organizational Pride + Employee Morale

Esprit de Corps is the key to a healthy organization and engaged employees.

​Honor First is foundational to the Border Patrol's organizational pride and integral to its Esprit de Corps.

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THROWBACK PHOTO OF THE WEEK

The photograph above is the 48th Session of the Border Patrol Academy taken in front of Camp Chigas in 1953.

Border Patrol policy mandated khakis uniforms on the southern border 1951-1955.  However, photographs show that khaki uniforms were worn in the lower Rio Grande Valley as early as 1949.

See this 1951 document and this 1954 document.

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DOCUMENTS AND EVENTS

1924

• On May 13, 1924, the San Antonio District sent a detailed memo to the Central Office in response to an April 30, 1924 request.  The San Antonio District memo described, in detail, the locations to which the "additional guards" would be assigned.  The San Antonio District included modern-day Del Rio, Laredo and Rio Grande Valley Sectors.
  • On April 30, 1924, the Action Commissioner-General sent a memo to the 11 immigration districts that were adjacent to the borders of the United States.  The memo indicated that funding was expected to be approved in the amount "...to effectively put a stop to all smuggling operations along the land boundaries..."  The memo instructed to the district heads to respond by telegram with the number of "guards or patrolmen" each district wished to receive.  They were instructed to follow the telegram with a written, more detailed response.  The memo also contains the telegram responses.
    • Interestingly, once created and until 1941, the Border Patrol had more inspectors assigned to the northern border than to the southern border.  This occurred even though the southern border had requested staffing levels three times greater than that of the northern border. some my say that a greater number of inspectors were placed on the northern border in response to the ratification of the 18th Amendment and the passage of the Volstead Act, Prohibition. Further, many sources cite that the Border Patrol was created in response to Prohibition.  However, no official Immigration Service documents have been discovered in the National Archives that support that popular claim.
    • When I was conducting research at the National Archives, I assumed that there must have been a plan in existence to implement once funding was received to create the USBP.  The memo above and the corresponding telegrams clearly demonstrate that no such plan existed a mere three weeks before funding would be received.

1928

• On May 8, 1928, George Harris (1976-1941), wrote a letter concerning H.R. 11755​ which was introduced on March 5, 1928 and would have had the USBP be a separate agency under the Department of Labor. 
  • George Harris would be one of the first two Chiefs of the Border Patrol (called Supervisor, Border Patrol) in 1926 with the implementation of General Order 61​.  In 1927, he would be reassigned to other positions leaving Ruel Davenport (1878-1961) to be the sole Chief of the Border Patrol.  In 1932, Harris would return as the Chief of the Border Patrol (called Director at that time) and be the only person to serve nonconsecutive terms in the position.

1934

• On May 10, 1934, El Paso District Director Grover Cleveland Wilmoth (1884-1951) sent a memo to the Commissioner-General concerning the two Border Patrol Inspectors placing in a shooting competition. Senior Patrol Inspector George W. Parker, Jr. (1908-1984) was "declared state champion at the rifle and pistol matches held a Fort Huachuca under the auspices of the Arizona State rifle Association".  Famed Patrol Inspector Charles Askins Jr. (1907-1999) won the police pistol match and it was suspected that his perfect score may have been a new record.  In closing, Wilmoth boasted:
  • Considerable interest is being displayed by officers in this district in competitive shooting and it will be noted that we have in our ranks at least two of the foremost shots in this section - if not in the United States.

1939

• On May 8, 1939, the Buffalo District sent a memo to the Commissioner-General concerning lost badges.  
  • The memo was in response to a January 18, 1939,  Central Office issued memo mandating that all badges and cap insignia be inventoried. 

1968 

• Resurrection City - Prior to his assassination, Martin Luther King, Jr. had begun plans for a peaceful “occupation” of the National Mall in Washington, DC, bringing together people of all races and economic conditions from across the country to bring attention to economic inequality.688 After his death, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) took up the mantle of what was to be called “The Poor People’s Campaign” and sought to set up a sixteen-acre tent city, dubbed “Resurrection City, U.S.A” on the National Mall...  Not having sufficient manpower to maintain order, the Marshals reached out to the U.S. Border Patrol and 38 Patrol Inspectors were detailed and deputized as Deputy U.S. Marshals on May 12, 1968.​​
  • From - HONOR FIRST:  The Story of the United States Border Patrol - Volume II by Joseph Banco​​

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NEWTON-AZRAK AWARD
​ACTION ANNIVERSARIES

Follow this link to see examples of USBP employees Upholding Honor First.

• An organization’s values are codified in its awards system. Recognizing the achievements, service and heroism of employees is important.  It is critical for those in positions of leadership to value the workforce.  Awards are a fundamental manner for leaders to demonstrate appreciation to the workforce for upholding the organizational values. – U.S. Border Patrol Honorary Awards

The USBP Newton-Azrak Award Scroll

1984
​
Mark Cangemi
Investigator 
Chicago, Illinois
Investigator Mark Cangemi was recognized for a successful undercover operation resulting in the break-up of two major smuggling rings operating in the U.S., which moved more than 175 aliens per month, and grossed over $700 thousand monthly.  Cangemi, at risk to himself, worked undercover as a transporter for a major smuggling organization operating out of Chicago from July 1983 to May 1984.  He transported illegal aliens, had numerous contacts with organization members, including the Mexican connection, and met other members who were involved in the sale of narcotics, firearms, and counterfeit documents.   As a result of this extremely dangerous assignment, the Service was able to uncover the widespread movement of hundreds of Yugoslavian aliens into the U.S. through Mexico from Europe.
 
Oscar H. Garza Jr.
​(1947-2022)
Investigator
Laredo, Texas
Stephan A. Peregoy
Investigator
Laredo, Texas
Investigator Oscar H. Garza Jr. and Investigator Stephan A. Peregoy were recognized for their unusual courage in a life-threatening situation involving investigation of a violence-oriented alien smuggling organization named “Las Tejas.”  The investigation resulted in the arrests of over 100 organizational principals, apprehension of 2,000 aliens, and the seizure of 85 vehicles.  Additionally, the Government of Mexico agreed to prosecute the organization head, who was continuing to direct the operation from the sanctuary of Mexico.
 
John A. Kalabus
Border Patrol Agent
Yuma Sector
Border Patrol Agent John A. Kalabus was recognized for saving a potential drowning victim from the Colorado River. While patrolling along the Mexican Border, Kalabus encountered two illegal aliens, one of whom jumped into the river attempting to return to Mexico.   He was caught in a whirlpool and unable to get free.  Without thought to his own safety, Kalabus swam to the alien and after several efforts, was successful in breaking the alien and himself free from the strong undertow and returning safely to shore.
 
Michael A. Lewis
Border Patrol Agent
Livermore Sector
Border Patrol Agent Michael A. Lewis was recognized for his courageous actions in saving three aliens from possible drowning.  During a farm and ranch check, a number of illegal alien workers began fleeing when Lewis spotted three who had jumped in a nearby 16-foot deep canal.  Two of the aliens were able to reach the other side but the third was floundering helplessly in the middle of the canal.  Lewis, at risk to his own life, jumped into the water and upon reaching the panic-stricken alien, was able to gain control and pull him to safety.  He then proceeded to assist the other two individuals, who were still in the canal, by swimming to them with a lifeline and pulling them to safety.

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U.S. BORDER PATROL FALLEN 
ANNIVERSARIES

U.S. Border Patrol Badge with a Mourning Band

As of March 6, 2023 the U.S. Border Patrol has suffered 154* fallen.
Titles

• 3 Mounted Watchmen fell before 1924 and are carried as Border Patrol fallen
• 49 Border Patrol Inspectors fell between 1924 and 1970
• 101 Border Patrol Agents have fallen since 1970
• 1 Enforcement Analysis Specialist

​The names that appear below hold a place of honor. They have made the ultimate sacrifice in an effort to fulfill the oath each officer took to protect and defend the United States of America.
 
The facts regarding each officer are presented without major editing of the "language of the day" found in the reports detailing the circumstances of each event. This is done to provide the reader an association with historical timeframes.
 
Employees who died in the line of duty due to being exposed to deadly illnesses will not have the cause of death listed.
 
I will note that Border Patrol Agent John Charles Gigax is not recognized as officially fallen by Customs and Border Protection or the U.S. Border Patrol. The Border Patrol Foundation and the Border Patrol Museum also fail to recognize him. He is remembered by all except organizations containing "Border Patrol" in their title. He is remembered by the:

• National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial (see this link),
• Officer Down memorial Page (see this link), and
• Texas Peace Officer's Memorial (see this link).

 
The U.S. Border Patrol, the Border Patrol Foundation, and the Border Patrol Museum should fix their oversight. 
 
HonorFirst.com remembers and lists Agent Gigax among the fallen.

Agent Gigax is buried in Florida's 5th Congressional District.  I contacted Congressman John Rutherford for assistance in this case.  Please contact the Congressman Rutherford if you would like to help.

Fallen Border Patrol Agent John Charles Gigax's tombstone. Fallen Border Patrol Agent Jason C. Panides' tombstone is in the background.

1919

Charles L. Hopkins
Date of Birth:                      February 23, 1881
Entered on Duty:                December 24, 1912
Title:                                     Mounted Watchman
End of Watch:                     May 8, 1919

Details:
On May 8, 1919, at 10:15 p.m., Mounted Watchman Charles Lloyd Hopkins was shot by smugglers on the banks of the Rio Grande River, near Laredo, Texas. He died three hours later in Mercy Hospital, Laredo. Reportedly, the shot that killed Mounted Watchman Hopkins was the first one fired in a general gun battle between smugglers and federal officers in which a United States Public Health Service Guard, Ira Hill, and several of the Mexican smugglers were also killed.
​
Gravesite


1995

Xavier G. Magdaleno
Date of Birth:                    September 9, 1950
Entered on Duty:              September 15, 1980
Title:                                   Border Patrol Agent
End of Watch:                   May 10, 1995
 
Details:
On May 10, 1989, Border Patrol Agent Xavier G. Magdaleno and his partner were driving their vehicle alongside the railroad tracks in an area of the El Paso Sector known as the “slag pits.” 
 
The agents were driving east between the slag piles and outbound tracks. A train was coming toward them on these tracks. Once clear of the slag piles, Agent Magdaleno tried to execute a 180-degree turn. The wheels of the vehicle began to slide in the soft slag. The vehicle would not respond to the steering wheel; instead, it plowed forward, alongside the incoming tracks. The agents did not see the incoming train because of the slag piles and the curve of the track until it was about 75 yards from the vehicle. Agent Magdaleno put the vehicle into reverse in an attempt to get out of the train’s way. However, the train struck the vehicle on the passenger side and threw the rear of the vehicle toward the track, striking it again.  On the initial impact, Agent Magdaleno’s partner was thrown out of the vehicle away from the train. The second impact threw Agent Magdaleno out of the vehicle, and it came to rest on top of him. He was pinned under the wreckage for 45 minutes. When freed, he was taken to R.E. Thomason General Hospital, where surgery was performed. He was paralyzed from the neck down, requiring ventilator assistance. He died from his injuries on May 10, 1995.  Agent Magdaleno was a graduate of the 139th session of the Border Patrol Academy and was assigned to the El Paso Station at the time of his death.

​Gravesite


2007

Richard M. Goldstein
Date of Birth:                     September 10, 1969
Entered on Duty:               March 25, 2002
Title:                                    Border Patrol Agent
End of Watch:                    May 11, 2007
 
Details:
On May 11, 2007, Agent Richard M. Goldstein drowned in the Coachella Canal near Niland, California, east of the Salton Sea.  After he went missing, Agent Goldstein’s canine partner was found sitting alongside his vehicle, which was parked and idling near the canal. The Customs and Border Protection and California Highway Patrol Air divisions assisted several Border Patrol Agents in the search for the missing agent. A short time later, he was found drowned a few miles from his vehicle.
 
Agent Goldstein’s K-9 partner, Carlo, was wet, and markings in the area indicated the dog had been in the water and struggled to get out of the canal. Early reports indicated that Agent Goldstein entered the canal in order to rescue his K-9 partner.
 
Agent Goldstein was a five-year veteran of the Border Patrol and was assigned to the El Centro Sector’s Indio Station.

​Gravesite


2011

Hector R. Clark
Date of Birth                         November 16, 1971
Entered on Duty:                  August 20, 2001
Title:                                       Border Patrol Agent
End of Watch:                       May 12, 2011
 
Details:
On the morning of May 12, 2011, Border Patrol Agent Hector R. Clark, and his partner Lead Border Patrol Agent Eduardo Rojas, Jr., were killed when a freight train struck their government vehicle. The accident occurred near the intersection of Interstate 8 and Paloma Road, approximately nine miles west of Gila Bend, Arizona. Agents Clark and Rojas were assisting other agents in pursuit of a group of suspected illegal aliens at the time of the accident.
 
Agent Clark, a native of the Yuma, Arizona community, began his career with the U.S. Border Patrol on August 20, 2001, as a member of the 481st Session of the Border Patrol Academy. Following his graduation, he was assigned to the El Centro Station in the El Centro Sector.  At the time of his death, he was assigned to the Yuma Station in the Yuma Sector.  Agent Clark was 39 years old and is survived by his wife and two children.

​Gravesite

Eduardo Rojas,  Jr.
Date of Birth                             October 14, 1976
Entered on Duty:                      April 9, 2000
Title:                                           Lead Border Patrol Agent
End of Watch:                           May 12, 2011
 
Details:
On the morning of May 12, 2011, Lead Border Patrol Agent Eduardo Rojas, Jr., and his partner Border Patrol Agent Hector R. Clark, were killed when a freight train struck their government vehicle. The accident occurred near the intersection of Interstate 8 and Paloma Road, approximately nine miles west of Gila Bend, Arizona. Agents Rojas and Clark were assisting other agents in pursuit of a group of suspected illegal aliens at the time of the accident.
 
Agent Rojas entered on duty with the U.S. Border Patrol on April 9, 2000, as a member of the 432nd Session of the Border Patrol Academy. Upon graduating from the academy, he was assigned to the Yuma Station in the Yuma Sector. Agent Rojas was serving as a Lead Border Patrol Agent in the Yuma Sector at the time of his death. He was a native of El Paso, Texas, and a graduate of Irvin High School. Agent Rojas was 34 years old, and is survived by his wife and two children.

​Gravesite


2021

Freddie Vasquez
Date of Birth:                       June 28, 1977                              
Entered on Duty:                 June 16, 2002
Title:                                      Border Patrol Agent 
End of Watch:                      May 8, 2021
 
Details: 
Agent Vasquez entered on duty on June 16, 2002, as part of the 515th Session of the Border Patrol Academy. The circumstances of his passing were reviewed by an executive panel and the CBP Commissioner who determined that this death occurred in the line of duty.  At the time of his passing, he was assigned to the El Paso Station, El Paso Sector, Texas.  His line-of-duty death occurred on May 8, 2021.
  
He is survived by his wife: Inez; sons: Alexander, Christopher, and Abram; daughter: Samantha; parents: Jose and Maria Vasquez; and brothers: Jose and Frank Vasquez.

Gravesite


2022

Daniel Salazar
Entered on Duty:                  June 8 ,2018
Title:                                       Border Patrol Agent 
End of Watch:                       May 13, 2022
 
Details: 
Border Patrol Agent Salazar entered on duty on June 8, 2018, as part of 1097th Session of the Border Patrol Academy.  He recently served at the El Cajon Station in San Diego Sector. He had served in the San Diego Sector his entire career.

Agent Salazar was killed in a single vehicle accident as he was responding to a sensor activation in the early morning hours. Reports indicate that he was driving ion an unimproved road when the vehicle left the roadway and rolled down a steep embankment.  Agent Salazar was thrown from the vehicle during the accident.

BPA Salazar is survived by his wife Karina Martinez, his 9-month-old son Santiago Daniel Salazar, his father Humberto Salazar, his mother Marielena Salazar and his siblings Nancy Salazar, Cindy Chacon and Michael Salazar.

Gravesite