Brian Paul

Director Brian Paul was born on August 10, 1968 in Fairfield, Iowa. In addition to being a Director, Brian was Pilot in the U.S. Navy, CBP, Air and Marine Operations (AMO). After retiring from AMO, Brian went on to fly as an air ambulance pilot.

Esteban G. Peña

Aviation Enforcement Agent Esteban Peña passed away after contracting Streptococcal Meningitis while attending P-3 flight simulator training in Jacksonville, Florida.

Scott D. Ritchey

Deputy Director Scott Ritchey drowned in the turbulent waters of the Atlantic Ocean at Playa Las Golondrinas in Isabela, Puerto Rico, to save his daughter.

Roberto Ponce

Agent Ponce died after a valiant battle with colon cancer. He Became a US Border Patrol in Calexico, CA. The family relocated to Detroit MI where he became a Marine Interdiction Agent and patrolled the waters of the Great Lakes. As Honor Guard unit memberhe spent countless hours training others on the ins and outs of Honor Guard protocol.

Robert F. Smith

On May 22, Air Interdiction Agent Robert Smith died when the helicopter he was flying crashed while assisting CBP Border Patrol agents arrest three illegal immigrants who crossed the riverbank.

Pedro J. Rodriguez

Aviation Supervisor Pedro Rodriguez-Franco was killed in an aircraft accident while attempting to move an airplane to a safe location in preparation for Hurricane Georges.

Carl R. Talafous

Pilot Rick Talafous was killed in a helicopter crash along with two other U.S. Customs Service agents and a Georgia Bureau of Investigation agent.

George R. Saenz

Pilot George Saenz was killed in a helicopter accident 55 miles southeast of Marathon, Florida, during a joint narcotics operation involving several federal agencies from the United States and the Bahamas.

Morley L. Miller

Pilot Morley Miller and Patrol Officer John Hollingsworth were killed in a helicopter accident approximately 1/2-mile west of Fort Stockton, Texas, while on a patrol flight at 12:11 pm.

Dennis W. Del Grosso

Retired Supervisory Air Interdiction Agent, Dennis Wayne Del Grosso passed away on December 1, 2023. Dennis began his aviation career after graduating from the US Coast Guard Academy Class of 1976. He flew USCG search and rescue missions until 1986 when he retired and joined the U.S. Customs Service to fly drug interdiction missions. After retiring from AMO, in December 2008, he continued contributing to the mission working in tactical radio communications.

Michel O. Macedo

Marine Interdiction Agent Michel Maceda was shot and killed during a maritime narcotics interdiction operation approximately 12 miles southwest of Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico.

Christopher D. Carney

Air Interdiction Agent Christopher Carney died as the result of complications after contracting COVID-19 while on duty in McAllen, Texas.

James S. Litz

Air Interdiction Agent James Litz suffered a fatal heart attack after completing a preflight check of a P-3 Orion in Panama City, Panama, while on a temporary duty assignment in support of Joint Interagency Task Force South.

Clinton B. Thrasher

Air Interdiction Agent (AIA) Clinton B. Thrasher, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine pilot, was killed when his Cessna 182 crashed while providing air support to Border Patrol agents conducting ground operations Wednesday, April 25, 2007.

Manuel VIl Zurita

Investigator Manuel Zurita died on January 6th, 1998, from injuries he sustained in a boating accident on January 1st, 1998, while assisting the United States Secret Service with a presidential protection detail for President William Clinton.

Alan J. Klumpp

Pilot Alan Klumpp was killed in a helicopter crash along with two other U.S. Customs Service agents and a Georgia Bureau of Investigation agent.

David L. Crater

Pilot David Crater and Pilot James Taylor were killed in an aircraft crash along the United States-Mexico border near Calexico, California.

Friedrich Karl

On October 4, 1973 at approximately 6:00 am, Agents Friedrich and Blue departed the Yuma County Airport on a signcutting and orientation mission. At approximately 12:00 noon, shortly after take-off from Tacna, Arizona the airplane struck a static line caused the plane to flip and fall to the gound. Both agents died in the crash.

Thomas Stephenson

Tom first joined AMO as a contractor at the Tucson Air Branch and was permanently hired by AMO in 2009, relocating his family to Grand Forks, North Dakota and joining AMO’s Unmanned Aircraft System Program. Ten years later, he was selected as the Regional Maintenance Officer for AMO’s Southwest Region Headquarters in El Paso, Texas.

Harry T. Bristow

Harry T. Bristow, USAF (ret.), of Clinton, MD, died unexpectedly on 14 July 2022 in Clinton MD. Harry served more than 26 years in the U.S. Air Force, followed by 21 years as a Program Manager for Air and Marine Operations.

Karen Boyle

Karen Boyle served in the federal government for 39 years. She began her federal career with the U.S. Customs Service in July 1977. From 1985 to 1987, she worked for the Federal Trade Commission, also as an Accounting Technician. She rejoined the Customs Service in 1987 and retired in 2017.

Julio E. Baray

Air Interdiction Agent Julio Baray was killed in an aircraft accident at Moriarty Airport, New Mexico.

Walter S. Panchison

On October 23, 1998, at 2:00 p.m., Border Patrol Agent Walter "Scott" Panchison lost his life flying a U.S. Border Patrol plane while responding to sensors near Smith Peak in the state of Washington.

David E. DeLoach

Investigator David DeLoach was killed in a helicopter crash along with two other U.S. Customs Service agents and a Georgia Bureau of Investigation agent.

Louis D. Stahl

On June 13, 1992, Border Patrol Pilot Louis Stahl was tracking a group of illegal aliens near Sunland Park, New Mexico. The Hughes OH6A helicopter, piloted by Agent Stahl, hit a string of power lines where it nose-dived into a nearby canyon.

James D. Taylor

Pilot James Taylor and Pilot David Crater were killed in an aircraft crash along the United States-Mexico border near Calexico, California.

Ned D. Henderson

Pilot Ned D. Henderson, died on November 18, 1945, from injuries he received two days earlier when the autogiro he was piloting crashed near Sullivan City, Texas.