Ultimate sacrifice: Border Patrol names vessels for fallen RGV agents

Aug. 23—A brief but moving ceremony took place Monday honoring fallen agents of the U.S. Border Patrol Rio Grande Valley Sector by naming patrol vessels of the RGV Sector Riverine Operations after them posthumously.

Family members were in attendance at the ceremony, as were dozens of uniformed USBP personnel. The event was held in the main hall of the South Padre Island Convention Center, where 11 USBP boats on trailers were on display, each fronted by a placard bearing the name, photo and details of the fallen. The nine other dedicated boats were out on patrol. Honored were a total of 20 agents, their names read aloud, each followed by a single strike of a bell.

The fallen RGV Sector agents honored:

Senior Patrol Agent Travis W. Attaway, Harlingen Station, who drowned on Sept. 19, 2004, after his patrol boat capsized in the Rio Grande near the Los Indios Free Trade Bridge; pilot William F. Buckelew, McAllen Station, killed in an airplane crash on June 23, 1954, near Rio Grande City while conducting a flight to check farm laborers; Patrol Inspector Augustin De La Pena, Rio Grande City Station, who was shot and killed on Aug. 2, 1925, after intervening in an assault at a restaurant in Rio Grande City; autogyro pilot Ned D. Henderson, McAllen Station, who died on duty Nov. 18, 1945, near Sullivan City, when his aircraft caught fire and crashed into power lines; Agent Eloy Hernandez, Harlingen Station, who was killed Jan. 17, 2002, in an automobile accident while on patrol near Progresso.

Senior Patrol Inspector Elgar B. Holliday, Weslaco Station, who suffered a fatal heart attack on Oct. 18, 1967, after three straight days of rescue efforts following Hurricane Beulah; Patrol Inspector Donald Kee, McAllen Station, killed June 23, 1954, in the same airplane crash that took the life of William Buckelew; Agent John Keenan, McAllen Station, who was killed Nov. 27, 1989, when his patrol car was struck by another vehicle near Mission; Senior Patrol Agent Miguel Maldonado, Port Isabel Station, who died March 10, 1997, in a single-car accident while responding to an emergency while on patrol in Brownsville; Patrol Inspector William D. McCalib, who was shot and killed on Jan. 7, 1930, by an escaped convict during an arrest in Alice.

Agent Susan L. Rodriguez, Harlingen Station, who was ambushed, shot and killed on June 7, 1998, by a suspect being sought for a previous murder; Agent Enrique Rositas Jr., McAllen Station, who died July 11, 2020, from complications after contracting COVID-19 in the line of duty: Agent Ricardo G. Salinas, Harlingen Station, who was killed July 7, 1998, in the same ambush that claimed the life of Susan Rodriguez; Patrol Inspector William L. Sills, Rio Grande City Station, shot and killed on Jan. 17, 1940, while attempting to arrest a smuggler; pilot Weldon Smith, Rio Grande City Station, who died in an airplane crash on Oct. 19, 1979, in Jim Hogg County, while assisting agents in a search for migrants.

Agent Juan Urrutia, Brownsville Station, who died May 28, 2021, from complications after contracting COVID-19 while in the line of duty; Agent Mark F. Van Doren, Falfurrias Station, killed on May 24, 2010, from injuries sustained when his patrol car collided with a bull and a tree in Brooks County; Agent Javier Vega, Kingsville Station, shot and killed on Aug. 3, 2014, taking action during a robbery near La Feria; Senior Patrol Agent Jeremy M. Wilson, Harlingen Station, who drowned on Sept. 19, 2004, in the same boat accident that took the life of Travis Attaway; Agent Ricardo Zarate, who died Aug. 16, 2021, from complications after contracting COVID-19 while in the line of duty.

In his comments during the ceremony, RGV Sector Acting Chief Patrol Agent Joel Martinez said the fallen agents' backgrounds and stories are "about as diverse as our beautiful nation."

"They are forever bound together by an unbreakable bond of courage and valor," he said. "And to all those gathered here this morning who have been touched by the lives we honor, you in particular bear a special burden."

Martinez said the idea of naming the vessels originated within the RGV sector as a way to recognize and remember the fallen but also to show "our nation's gratitude" to the surviving families, who he said deserve to be respected and honored properly.

"It's something that we have to do because we love you all very much and you mean a lot to us," Martinez said.

The RGV Sector has named stations for its fallen agents in the past, the most recent being the Javier Vega Jr. Checkpoint, formerly the Sarita Checkpoint, he said. Dedicating the patrol vessels also seemed fitting, Martinez said.

"It's the least we could do," Martinez said. "They made the ultimate sacrifice and it's my job to make sure we never forget that."

South Padre Island Mayor Patrick McNulty welcomed the families and the USBP, expressing gratitude to the agents on hand charged with "keeping our border and our country safe."

"It's really a proud honor to have you all here," he said.