WASHINGTON — U.S. Customs and Border Protection appointed Rosario “Pete” Vasquez, a 26-year veteran of the U.S. Border Patrol and most recently chief patrol agent of the Blaine Sector in Washington State, as the new chief of the Border Patrol, the agency announced.
Vasquez will oversee nearly 20,000 Border Patrol agents and professional staff responsible for securing roughly 7,000 miles of international land borders and 2,000 miles of coastal waters. CBP Commissioner Rodney S. Scott framed the pick as a field-tested operator taking command of the agency at a moment the Trump administration is pressing its border enforcement campaign.
“Pete Vasquez is a Border Patrol agent’s agent,” said CBP Commissioner Scott. “He has spent more than two decades leading from the front, earning the respect of the workforce, and delivering results in some of the most challenging operational environments in the country. He understands what this mission demands because he has lived it. There is no one better suited to lead the United States Border Patrol into its next chapter.”
Vasquez’s career spans operational and executive assignments across the southwest border, northern border, CBP headquarters, and international postings. He is a graduate of the Border Patrol’s Search, Trauma, and Rescue Unit and has held leadership roles in the agency’s Special Operations Group, the Office of Anti-Terrorism, and the Alliance to Combat Transnational Threats. He also served as assistant attaché for CBP in Canada and as acting executive director within CBP’s Office of Trade.
“It is the honor of a lifetime to serve as chief of the United States Border Patrol, and I’m grateful for the trust placed in me by President Trump, Secretary Mullin, and Commissioner Scott,” said Chief Vasquez. “Our agents have never backed down from a challenge, and neither will I. As chief, my focus is clear: support our agents, strengthen our operational capabilities, and ensure the U.S. Border Patrol remains the most effective border security force in the world.”
Vasquez and his wife, Rebecca, have been married for 32 years and have three daughters and three grandchildren. He assumes command of an agency established in 1924, now tasked under the Trump administration and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin with combating transnational criminal organizations and disrupting human smuggling and narcotics trafficking networks.