Jason Owens named next Border Patrol chief
Anna Giaritelli
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Jason Owens has been named as the next chief of the U.S. Border Patrol, according to two people with firsthand knowledge of the announcement who spoke with the Washington Examiner.
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Owens will replace retiring Chief Raul Ortiz, who will have worked 22 months in his post atop the 19,000-person organization.
“Today, we are announcing several key transitions among our senior leadership team,” said U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) acting Commissioner Troy Miller, said in a later statement. “It is with great pride that I announce that Chief Jason Owens will be appointed as the next Chief of the U.S. Border Patrol.”
Owens is chief of the Border Patrol’s Del Rio Sector in southcentral Texas. He previously worked as chief of the Border Patrol Academy in New Mexico and was chief of the Border Patrol’s entire Maine-Canada region.
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“Over the course of his career, Chief Owens has demonstrated consistent dedication to our border security and homeland security missions, and to the men and women who carry out these responsibilities every day,” Miller added.”I am confident that he will ably lead the U.S. Border Patrol into its 100th year and beyond.”
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas spoke highly of Owens, who he selected for the job. The Border Patrol chief position is not a political appointee.
“Chief Owens is a talented, selfless, and inspiring leader who is dedicated to the Border Patrol’s law enforcement mission, the men and women who fulfill it, and the country that we all serve,” Mayorkas said in a statement. “I have worked with Chief Owens; I am inspired by his commitment to the mission, and am grateful to him for his continued service in this new leadership role.”
Owens is married to Casandra Garcia, a long-time senior aide to Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), who ran against Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX) in November 2022 but was defeated.
CBP also announced that the 64,000-person organization, which includes the Border Patrol, was replacing other retiring officials.
Acting Deputy Commissioner Benjamine “Carry” Huffman will retire at the end of June after 38 years in federal law enforcement. The Executive Assistant Commissioner for the Office of Field Operations, Pete Flores, will take over Huffman’s post.
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Deputy Executive Assistant Commissioner for the Office of Field Operations, Diane Sabatino, will move up to Flores’s position.