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| Commissioner Awards Outstanding Employees
Frontline heroes—protecting America |
| | Photo Credit: Gerald L. Nino |
| Colleen Paul receives the Excellence In Mission Support award as part of the Secure Border Initiative Acquisition Team
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The Commissioner’s 2006 Annual Awards Ceremony was held on January 2, 2007 in the Ronald Reagan Building Amphitheater to honor 152 of U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s best. Commissioner Basham began the ceremony with a quote from British statesman Edmund Burke. “There is no greater glory than the ability to do public good, and CBP is an agency devoted to the public good,” Commissioner Basham stated. Secretary Michael Chertoff joined Commissioner Basham and Deputy Commissioner Deborah J. Spero on the stage and was the guest speaker. Ms. Maria Brito Perez, the Department of Homeland Security Chief Human Capital Officer, together with Representative from Texas Silvestre Reyas, were in the audience as special guests.| "I have been your Commissioner for seven months now, and in those seven months I have traveled around the United States—and visited our foreign operations, as well. In many ways, my travels were the best possible preparation for today—my first awards ceremony—because now I know firsthand that the accomplishments of CBP are not made by a bureaucratic institution called Customs and Border Protection. Our success is directly attributed to you—the men and women of CBP. Your efforts to carry out your own unique role within this agency make CBP what it is today—one of the largest and most strategic law enforcement agencies of our federal government. And I happen to think it is the best."—Commissioner W. Ralph Basham |
A moment of silenceCommissioner Basham asked for a moment of silence in remembrance of those employees listed on the Valor Memorial and especially for the two Border Patrol Agents that were lost in the line of duty during 2006: David Norman Webb and Nicholas Greenig.The Dean-Melendez Antiterrorism AwardThe Dean-Melendez Antiterrorism Award was awarded to four groups of employees:- CBP Officers Noel M. Bialke, Susan Fu, Mark Henderson, and Anthony E. Jackson from the Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport received the award for the interception of a Palestinian national, who admitted that he had been previously arrested and imprisoned in Israel for being a member of an organized terrorist group.
- The JFK Passenger Analytical Unit was recognized for their terrorist related lookouts and the processing and production of narcotics records, which resulted in the identification of 551 criminal records, leading to numerous adverse actions including 9 refusals, 7 expedited removals, 388 criminal deferrals and narcotics records that resulted in seizures of cocaine, heroin, ecstasy, and khat. Members of the JFK Passenger Analytical Unit are James M. Brereton, John Riomao, Nadia Sadozia, Michael Yarmosh, and Frank W. Umowski.
- The Brownsville, Texas, Delta Team were recognized for their development and execution of a Southwest border antiterrorism operation called “Operation SWAT.” Through a paper trail tied to a large black market ring located in Mexico City, the team matched names in CBP databases with suspected ties to terrorism.
- Border Patrol Agents Donald Alvarenga and Carlos M. Castro received the Dean-Melendez Antiterrorism Award in recognition for their early identification of two suspected terrorists within the United States.
Meritorious Service Award for ValorThe Meritorious Service Award for Valor was awarded to two individuals and one group:- Senior Patrol Agent Jamie J. Cortinas from Rio Grande City, Texas, saved four citizens of El Savador from drowning in the Rio Grande River. He pulled the citizens to safety before the vehicle they were riding in was submerged.
- Supervisory CBP Officer Kerry Whitworth, CBP Officers Eric Hansen and Jim Specht of the Port of Entry, Friday/Roche, Washington were credited with saving the life of a private vessel crewmember who was not wearing a life vest and had fallen into the frigid waters of Puget Sound.
- Air Interdiction Agent Roger Henry from Hammond, Louisiana jumped into a helicopter that was accidentally started inside the hangar close to other aircraft and personnel. If the helicopter blades had contacted any of the other fueled aircraft in the facility, the resulting fire would have engulfed the hanger. He was awarded the Meritorious Service Award For Valor for saving the lives of personnel and protecting property in excess of $40 million.
Newton-Azrak AwardBorder Patrol Chief David Aguilar joined Commissioner Basham to present the Newton-Azrak Award. This award is named in tribute to Theodore Newton Jr. and George Azrak, two Border Patrol inspectors who were kidnapped and murdered by drug traffickers in 1967 while they were working at a California highway checkpoint. On August 15, 2006, BP Agents Ricardo J. Hernandez and Felix Morales III of Las Cruces, New Mexico saved a father and his minor children from drowning. Agents Hernandez and Morales jumped into the turbulent water and made their way to the vehicle. Agent Morales was swept down the river while holding one of the children. He eventually managed to cling to some brush and hand the child to another person at the scene. Agent Hernandez was able to rescue the other child and the father. Integrity AwardCBP Officer Raul Rodriguez from Progreso, Texas and Border Patrol Agent Camilo Garcia from McAllen, Texas were this year’s Integrity Award recipients.In June 2006, Officer Rodriguez participated in an undercover sting operation with investigators from the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) which resulting in the arrest and Federal prosecution of one person for bribery and attempted alien smuggling.Border Patrol Agent Camilo Garcia put his personal life on hold to help the McAllen Office of Inspector General, (OIG) to investigate claims that an unidentified Border Patrol agent was smuggling undocumented aliens through the McAllen International Airport. The investigation ended with the apprehension of undocumented aliens attempting to travel to the interior of the United States and identifying a primary criminal conspirator in Mexico. The suspect employee was fired. EC Congratulations to these 2006 Commissioner’s Awards RecipientsBest Practices and InnovationMelvin AllenWilliam E. BrownVirtual Learning CenterCarlton CrewJeanne ElmoreLawrence TagrinBlue EagleTimothy DelgadoKatherine KramarichA-TCET Cargo TeamJennifer EngDavid CunninghamAdrian SmithStephen LongMarco Galiano CBP Ambassador Award - Inter-Government and Intra-Government Outreach and AdvocacyCaribbean Border Interagency Group (CBIG)Mickey A. ValdezCarlos MarreroHector BlackMarcelino BorgesRonaldo OrtizCBP Ambassador Award - Community OutreachMichael H. Cunningham Oroville SectorVincent P. ClarkMichael N. EgertonKolo B. MoserCBP Ambassador Award - International CooperationKathy ConwayCBP Iraq Reconstruction Project TeamDuke CancholaWilliam MolaskiStephen PastorMichael PowellRoyce WaltersDean-Melendez Antiterrorism AwardsDonald AlvarengaCarlos CastroMinneapolis/St. Paul International AirportNoel BialkeSusan FuMark HendersonAnthony E. Jackson JFK Passenger Analytical UnitJames BreretonJohn RiomaoNadia SadoziaFrank UmowskiMichael YarmoshDelta TeamKarl FischerAbel Gonzales Jr.Rafael GonzalezChris KishoreOscar TrevinoEEO/Diversity AwardLisa BrendleCelestine Harrell David PhilipsSan Diego SectorLuisa CruzRobert LermaOliver MitchellAraceli OrtegaLisette VidaExcellence In Mission SupportAir and Marine Operations Center Technological EnhancementsJames DurrettWilliam MooreHarry ThompsonSherry ZieglerCBP National Recruitment BranchJoseph T. AbbottGenevieve DentJudy HatterMichelle LaneDenora RichardsonSecure Border Initiative (SBI) Acquisition TeamMark CecelskiMichael ForestPamela LarsenChristopher MilowicColleen PaulMichael PotterRonald RosenbertCarl RossDeborah SmithAndrea WoodStuart WoodsideEd YoungTargeting and Analysis Systems and Passenger Systems Program OfficesRosemarie DavisValerie IsbellPhil LandfriedEllen MulvennaDonna ShawJennifer WilliamsIntegrityCamilo GarciaRaul Rodriguez Law Enforcement OfficerDavid J. Bova Allen BrockMichael HillTimothy D. DawsonLeadershipSuzanne Fiust Thomas W. Norton Meritorious Service Award For ValorJamie J. Cortinas Roger HenryPort of Entry, Friday/Roche, WashingtonEric HansenJim SpechtKerry WhitworthNewton-Azrak AwardRicardo J. HernandezFelix Morales IIIService And ProfessionalismRobert CveticTeresa DavidMartin Morales, Jr.Beth Pope Steve J. Smith Brenda WhiteSpecial Recognition Award Trevor Betz Chadi Kiami Special Recognition Award - Integrity InitiativesChris PignoneJanis OehmannSharon SnellingsTop Humanitarian Award Christopher M. JarvisBorder Patrol Search, Trauma, and Rescue Team (BORSTAR) and the Special Response Team (SRT) El Paso Sector Special Operations DivisionGary GualducciDavid ScrivnerCharles D. SeagrovesCarlos Soto IIIAndrew WylieTop Unit CitationInternational Affairs Capacity Building BranchEdward BayronDavid M. KingTasha M. ReidNorman A. RoyNeyda YejoPassenger Analysis UnitJohn GriffinWillard KarjalahtiJeff PawlakElizabeth SabinoEun-Ah Song-JacksonPassenger Operations TeamReymundo CavazosJose F. GarzaReynaldo GuajardoEsteban MoralesJesus D. SaldivarNewington, VirginiaSusan AlvaniaRobert NeillBernadette ThomasLori deVenogeRio Grande Valley Sector, Texas Guillermo GarciaStuart GoodrichRogelio MartinezPeter PalmerMario SanchezTrade, Facilitation, And Partnership AwardLouis Samenfink Miami SeaportLinda CullenGrethell GomezGerard RussoNew York Regulatory Audit OfficeVelda GriffinTeresa HalpinWilliam LoscoDanielle O’NeilCedric ThomasTrade FacilitationMichael CraigHoward DuchanChristine FurgasonBrian LewandowskiAnne MaricichCathy SaucedaWilliam ScopaUnsung Hero (Support Staff) Award Donna M. Prinke In MemoriamDavid Norman WebbNicholas D. (Nick) Greenig |
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