New Border Patrol Deputy Chief Raul Ortiz was honored at the State of the Union address tonight as a guest of the president and first lady.
“Last year, I traveled to Texas and met Raul Ortiz. Over the last 24 months, his team has seized more than 200,000 pounds of narcotics, arrested more than 3,000 human smugglers and arrested more than 2,000 migrants,” President Trump said before asking Ortiz, sitting behind Melania Trump, to stand and be recognized by lawmakers.
“A grateful nation thanks you and all of the heroes of Border Patrol and ICE. Thank you very much,” Trump said.
Ortiz’s career has spanned over 28 years, having served the U.S. Border Patrol in a wide variety of positions since he entered on duty in May 1991, in San Diego Sector, as a member of Academy Class 247. From 2000 to 2005, he served as Assistant Patrol Agent in Charge and Patrol Agent in Charge of the Comstock Station, and as Patrol Agent in Charge of the Del Rio Station. In 2005, he was promoted to Assistant Chief Patrol Agent in Del Rio Sector.
From 2009 to 2010, Ortiz served as director of the Border Management Task Force in Kabul, Afghanistan; in 2010, he served as the senior advisor to the special envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). In 2011, he was promoted to the Senior Executive Service (SES) position of DHS Attaché in Kabul and held that position until his selection as Deputy Chief of Operations at Border Patrol headquarters in Washington, D.C.
In 2013, Ortiz was appointed as deputy chief patrol agent of Border Patrol’s Rio Grande Valley Sector. In 2019, he became chief patrol agent of the Del Rio Sector.
“I am extremely proud and honored to have the opportunity to represent the men and women of the U.S. Border Patrol tonight at the State of the Union,” Ortiz tweeted before the address.
