see also: in June 2008:   CBP in New Orleans Offers Tips for International Air Travelers for Summer Season   CBP Offers Tips for International Air Travelers in Memphis for Summer Season   U.S. Customs and Border Protection to Host San Diego Hiring Event   Baltimore CBP Recovers Stolen Vehicle Being Shipped Overseas   Border Patrol Agents Seize Cocaine, Methamphetamines and Marijuana   Canada, U.S. Sign Arrangement to Align Security Standards for Cross-Border Business   CBP, Texas Strengthen Partnership to Ensure Border Security ...more on cbp.gov:   CBP News Releases   Press Officers

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El Paso, Texas – El Paso Sector Chief Patrol Agent Victor Manjarrez and the “Operation Lifeguard” team were announced as finalists by the Partnership of Public Service for the Service of American Medals - Homeland Security Medal on June 18.

In October 2007, CBP Border Patrol in El Paso unveiled “Operation Lifeguard,” an extension of a bi-national effort designed to protect the lives of migrants and bring justice to smugglers and guides who exploit them. The program is a branch of OASISS (Operation Against Smugglers Initiative on Safety and Security), which involves a collaborative effort by multiple bi-national agencies that focuses on reducing alien smuggling activity in the El Paso Sector.

Led by El Paso Sector Chief Patrol Agent Victor M. Manjarrez, Jr., three Border Patrol agents in El Paso, Texas – Assistant Patrol Agent in Charge Salvador Zamora and Supervisory Border Patrol Agents Ben Rodriguez and Victor Trujillo – agents examined ways to prevent illegal crossings and came to the conclusion that the problem was less about the level of resources – although resources are important – and more about their approach to solving the problem. They believed the Border Patrol had to become more proactive. That meant addressing the problem at its source, in Mexico. As a result, these agents reached out to Mexican law enforcement officials, and they launched Operation Lifeguard, an unprecedented bilateral partnership that has led to improvements in the security of the border and the quality of life in the area.

In addition to marking a strategic shift, Operation Lifeguard has been able to decrease the historical high levels of violence against Border Patrol agents, alien and drug smuggling activities in the El Paso area. Since the patrols began in October 2007, no undocumented migrants have lost their lives while attempting to enter the U.S. illegally by wading the Rio Grande River and the treacherous irrigation canals in El Paso.

Operation Lifeguard’s principal activity is coordinated, regular, but random patrols along the border. These sweeps have apprehended many individuals before they try to cross the border. In the process, they have created a deterrent for others. In addition to the planned patrols, Border Patrol agents are constantly monitoring the area, and when they see signs of suspicious activity, they alert the El Paso Sector Border Patrol International Liaison Unit. The Liaison Unit contacts Mexican officials to request assistance, thereby mobilizing patrol teams on both sides of the border.

The agencies involved include: CBP Border Patrol, CBP Office of Field Operations, Procuraduría General de la Republica (PGR), Policia Federal Preventiva (PFP), Centro de Inteligencia Policiaca (CIPOL), and Instituto Nacional de Migración (INAMI).

The Service to American Medals program honors the best in our federal workforce and works to inspire a new generation to consider public service careers by sharing the inspiring stories of unsung heroes with the general public. An awards ceremony to publicly announce and honor the 2008 Service to American Medals recipients will take place on September 16, 2008 at the Andrew Mellon Auditorium in Washington, D.C.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.