LAREDO, Texas – On Thursday, May 3, 2018, the Laredo Sector Border Patrol participated in the unveiling ceremony for Duko’s Dog Park at North Central Park in Laredo, Texas.
The ceremony was a coordinated effort between the City of Laredo, Mayor Pro Tempore Charlie San Miguel, the United States Border Patrol – Laredo Sector and the Laredo Animal Care Services. The event included key-note speakers City of Laredo Mayor Pro Tempore Charlie San Miguel, Laredo Sector Border Patrol Acting Chief Patrol Agent Jason D. Owens, Laredo Sector Border Patrol Alliance to Combat Transnational Threats Director Joel Martinez, who was Duko’s canine handler at one time, and Chair of the Animal Care Services Advisory Committee Sandra Solis.
The four first canines trained in human detection for the U.S. Border Patrol were three Belgian Malinois and one Laekenois, back in 1986. Duko was one of those canines. Their reputation in contributing to the disruption of over $150 million dollars worth of narcotics and assisting in putting more than 100 alien and drug smugglers in jail compelled the Transnational Criminal Organizations to put a contract hit on these noble Border Patrol canines back in 1988. The overwhelming success in utilizing trained detection canines along the border propelled the creation of the CBP Canine Program.
The Laredo Sector Border Patrol currently has 99 canine teams. These canine teams have been instrumental in disrupting the drug trafficking of almost 47,000 pounds of narcotics valued at over $86.5 million dollars and contributing to the apprehension and rescue of 3,900 illegal aliens throughout the Laredo Sector Border Patrol in Fiscal Year 2017.