Death of Rogelio Martinez

Rogelio Martinez (c. 1981 – November 19, 2017) was an agent of the United States Border Patrol who died in the line of duty on November 19, 2017 in Culberson County, Texas. His cause of death remains unsolved despite a four-month investigation by the FBI.

Early life and career

Martinez was born circa 1981.[1] He lived in El Paso, he was engaged, and he had an 11-year-old son.[2] He served in the Border Patrol from August 12, 2013 to November 19, 2017, and he was based out of the CBP station in Van Horn, Texas.[1]

Death

On November 18, he was patrolling the border in Culberson County, Texas with another agent, Stephen Garland, who called for back-up.[3] Later that day, Martinez was found unconscious in a culvert off Interstate 10, 30 miles away from Mexico,[4] and Garland was unable to remember what had happened.[3] Martinez died in an El Paso hospital the following day, on November 19; he was 36.[3] His funeral was attended by Attorney General Jeff Sessions.[5]

According to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection website, Martinez is the most recent Border Patrol agent to have died in the line of duty as of June 2019; the previous one was Isaac Morales in May 2017.[6]

Public reactions

President Donald Trump, Governor Greg Abbott, and Senator Ted Cruz suggested Martinez had been murdered, and Brandon Judd of the National Border Patrol Council added he must have been "attacked from behind."[7] President Trump added Martinez's death buttressed his support for the construction of a border wall between Mexico and the United States.[2]

By February 2018, the F.B.I. had been unable to determine whether his death was murder or an accident during the course of their four-month investigation, despite conducting 650 interviews.[7][8] An internal memorandum authored by Acting Commissioner Kevin McAleenan suggested Martinez may have fallen in the culvert, but he added that the death remained unsolved due to an "absence of evidence."[5]

See also

References
  1. "Rogelio Martinez". U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Retrieved July 26, 2019.
  2. Lauer, Claudia; Warren, David (November 23, 2017). "Authorities reportedly believe border agent may have fallen". Lancaster Eagle-Gazette. Lancaster, Ohio. p. A2. Retrieved August 1, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. Haag, Matthew; Dickerson, Caitlin (February 7, 2018). "F.B.I. Finds No Evidence of Attack in Death of Border Agent". The New York Times. Retrieved August 1, 2019.
  4. "New details suggest border patrol agent's death was an accident". CBS News. February 21, 2018. Retrieved August 1, 2019.
  5. Borunda, Daniel (February 9, 2018). "CBP memo details investigation, suggests Border Patrol Agent Rogelio Martinez died in fall". El Paso Times. Retrieved August 1, 2019.
  6. "In Memoriam to Those Who Died in the Line of Duty". U.S. Customs and Border Protection. June 18, 2019. Retrieved August 1, 2019.
  7. Dart, Tom (February 8, 2018). "FBI investigation finds no evidence of attack in death of border patrol officer". The Guardian. Retrieved July 26, 2019.
  8. Burnett, John (April 2, 2018). "A Border Patrol Agent Dies Mysteriously. The Sheriff Has A Simple Theory". NPR. Retrieved July 26, 2019.
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