RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. –El Centro Sector Border Patrol agents assigned to the Indio Station were honored for outstanding work at a peace officers luncheon today.
The Palm Desert Area Chamber of Commerce hosted their 20th Annual Peace Officer and Public Safety luncheon at 11:30 a.m. As part of the ceremony, two Supervisory Border Patrol agents (SBPA’s) and three Border Patrol agents were nominated and selected to receive awards based on their outstanding work performance, along with their efforts to ensure the safety of residents of the Coachella Valley.
SBPA Elvia Guerrero was selected as “Border Patrol Agent-of-the-Year” for her courageous and heroic actions on August 22, 2016. On that day, a semi-truck collided with a passenger bus at the secondary inspection area of the Highway 86 Checkpoint, causing multiple injuries to passengers and a highly volatile emergent situation. SBPA Guerrero assisted in evacuating injured passengers without regard for her own personal safety.
SBPA Alex Duran, Border Patrol agents Jose Ortiz, Jose Medina and Anthony Volpicelli, who are members of the Indio station’s Priority One Task Force (POTF), were also recognized. Since its inception on April 5, 2015, Indio POTF agents have arrested 110 career-criminal illegal aliens convicted for murder, kidnapping, sex offenses, gang crimes, assault with a deadly weapon, a wide variety of narcotics crimes, child cruelty, domestic violence, fraud, burglary, DUI, petty and grand theft. The efforts of these four brave men resulted in receiving the “Outstanding Performance for Specialized Duties” award.
“Our ongoing efforts to secure our nation’s borders and keep our communities safe would not be possible without our agency’s greatest assets, the brave men and women of the Border Patrol,” Chief Patrol Agent Rodney S. Scott said. “These five agents highlight our agencies core values of vigilance, service to country and integrity.”