[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 16 (Tuesday, January 25, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E65-E66]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 HONORING ANICETO ``CHETO'' PEREZ, JR.

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. FILEMON VELA

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, January 25, 2022

  Mr. VELA. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Aniceto ``Cheto'' 
Perez, Jr., of Alice, Texas. Aniceto has dedicated his life to public 
service and law enforcement for over three decades and has made a 
lasting impact on the people of South Texas.
  Aniceto was born to Aniceto Perez, Sr. and Martha Valerio Perez of 
San Diego, Texas in 1959. After graduating from San Diego High School 
in 1978, Aniceto knew he wanted to establish a career in law 
enforcement. He began his career with the Duval County Sheriffs 
Department in 1978, serving as a telecommunicator and jailer before 
transferring to the City of Alice Police Department.
  Aniceto started at the Alice Police Department as a uniformed patrol 
officer and was promoted three years later to the Narcotics Unit. As a 
narcotics investigator, Aniceto performed undercover operations and 
served as a member of the Narcotics Task Force, working closely with 
local, state, and federal agencies. Aniceto was then promoted once 
again, this time to Sergeant Investigator of the Narcotics Unit, making 
him the lead investigator

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on many cases. During his tenure in the Narcotics Unit, Aniceto 
assisted in the seizure of several tons of illegal narcotics, millions 
of dollars in narcotics-related currency, and countless weapons 
utilized by drug trafficking organizations. Aniceto also held roles as 
an Internal Affairs Investigator; Interim Lieutenant for the Patrol and 
Traffic Division; Training Coordinator; Commander of the Special 
Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) Team; Police Bicycle Patrol Instructor; 
Firearms Instructor; Honor Guard Member; Licensed Forensic Hypnosis 
Administrator; and Chief of Police. Aniceto retired from law 
enforcement after 39 years of service with the Alice Police Department, 
the longest tenure to date.
  Although it would be impossible to list all the impactful cases he 
worked on and all he achieved during his time at the Alice Police 
Department, these cases stand out over the course of Aniceto 's storied 
career:
  In 1994, Aniceto was a member of the team assigned to investigate the 
capital murder case of Trini Gonzalez, who was only 9 years old at the 
time of her death. This investigation led to the arrest and conviction 
of two people.
  In 2008, Aniceto was a member of the investigating team that 
responded to an armed bank robbery of a Wells Fargo Bank that involved 
the shooting of an Alice police officer. This investigation led to an 
arrest, conviction, and recovery of stolen currency.
  In 2018, Aniceto was made lead investigator on the murder case of 
Matthew Murphy, a police officer shot in the line of duty. This case 
had remained unsolved since 1974, but through much diligence and 
investigation Aniceto and his team obtained a confession, arrest, and 
conviction for the case, which spanned from Texas to Alabama.
  Aniceto also participated in a lengthy multi-agency surveillance 
operation of a suspected member of the Asian Triad who was living in 
Alice and owned a business there. Upon his arrest, the suspect was 
found to be in possession of floor plans of a federal building in 
Corpus Christi. This operation is believed to have stopped a possible 
terrorist attack on the building.
  Aniceto has accumulated an impressive number of awards and 
commendations over the course of his career, including the City of 
Alice Chamber of Commerce Police Officer of the Year Award in 1995 and 
2018, the City of Alice Police Department Achievement Award, and the 
Jim Wells County Leadership Award. He is also very engaged in the 
community, and has served as a board member, volunteer coach and 
official for the Boys and Girls Club, regional coordinator for Toys for 
Tots, and judge for various local athletic organizations including the 
Alice Swim Team and the Coastal Bend Allstars Swim Team.
  Aniceto expresses no desire to slow down anytime soon. He is 
currently a Professor and Criminal Justice Faculty Lead at Coastal Bend 
College, where he shares his knowledge and expertise with students. 
Aniceto has expressed gratitude and love for his career; however, he 
states his greatest accomplishments are being a husband to his wife Jo 
Ann for 37 years, being a father to his daughter Sabrina and son Aeren, 
and being a grandfather to his two grandchildren, Aaden and Alaina.
  Madam Speaker, it is an honor to recognize Aniceto Cheto Perez, Jr., 
a truly passionate public servant who represents the best of our 
community. I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating him on his 
outstanding career and thanking him for his devotion to the people of 
the Rio Grande Valley.

                          ____________________