A longtime veteran of the US Border Patrol will be its next chief, the Biden administration has announced.
Jason Owens, who has been overseeing the typically busy Del Rio Sector of the US-Mexico border, will take over as Border Patrol chief, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said.
Owens will replace outgoing US Border Patrol Chief Raul Ortiz. Ortiz is scheduled to retire at the end of June after more than three decades of service, CNN reported.
"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 Friday.
The leadership change is happening at a time when migrant encounters along the US southern border have dropped by about 70%, when compared to the days before the pandemic-era rule known as Title 42 ended on May 11.
Owens started his career with the US Border Patrol in 1996 and has served in various leadership posts, including in locations around the country and deployments to Colombia and the Dominican Republic, according to the CBP website. The agency website also states that Owens has served on the highly regarded Border Patrol Tactical Unit and the Border Patrol, Search and Rescue Team.
The Del Rio Border Patrol Sector, the area of responsibility Owens has been leading, has been one of the busiest on the border. This fiscal year, the Del Rio Sector is second, only to El Paso, in the number of migrant encounters, with more than 238,000 between October 2022 and April 2023.
"I am inspired by his commitment to the mission, and am grateful to him for his continued service in the new leadership role," Mayorkas said.
