[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 121 (Thursday, July 21, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E772]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  HONORING COMMANDER MATTHEW MALDONADO

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JIMMY PANETTA

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 21, 2022

  Mr. PANETTA. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the retirement 
of Commander Matthew Maldonado from the Salinas Police Department after 
29 years of service. The Salinas Police Department is an integral part 
of our community, ensuring the safety and wellbeing of all Salinas 
residents for more than 145 years.
  Commander Maldonado demonstrated an early commitment to public safety 
and serving his community. Raised in the City of Salinas, he graduated 
from Salinas High School in 1989 and attended classes at Monterey 
Peninsula College and Hartnell College, going on to graduate from Union 
Institute and University with a bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice 
Management. Following in the footsteps of his father Richard Maldonado, 
who served with the Marina Department of Public Safety, he began his 
career with the Monterey County Sheriff's Department in 1992.
  After graduating from the Gavilan Police Academy and a two-year 
assignment to the Correction Division, Commander Maldonado was hired by 
the Salinas Police Department and assigned to the Patrol unit working 
the midnight shift. While on the force, Commander Maldonado served in a 
variety of roles including patrol officer, crime scene investigator, 
and as a member of the Violence Suppression Unit/SWAT.
  In 2004, he was promoted to Sergeant, where he supervised Patrol 
operations, the Violence Suppression Unit, the Narcotic Unit, and the 
Monterey County Joint Narcotics Team. Throughout his tenure, Commander 
Maldonado has been a strong leader with a commitment to public safety 
and education, having served as a firearms instructor for 17 years and 
as SWAT team leader-turned-commander for 18 years. He was also a 
founding sergeant of the California Department of Justice ``STING'' 
Task Force. Then-Sergeant Maldonado's teams were responsible for 
Operation Knock Out and Operation Snake Eyes, two successful wiretap 
cases into the Nuestra Familia criminal organization.
  Matthew Maldonado was promoted to Commander in 2018. As a commander, 
he supervised patrol operations and served as the Hostage Negotiations 
Team Commander. For the last three years of his career, Commander 
Maldonado served as the SWAT Commander and was the commander in charge 
of the Northern California, South Bay Metro, High Intensity Drug 
Trafficking Area Salinas Violence Suppression Task Force. His team 
conducted successful narcotics and gang investigations spanning from 
Monterey County to the North Bay area and most recently worked closely 
with the Salinas Police Department's detectives on the wiretap case 
Operation Black Widow, which reached as far as Yuma, Arizona and the 
southern border of California and Mexico.
  Throughout his career, Commander Maldonado has been recognized for 
his outstanding contributions to the community. Along with earning the 
Monterey County Peace Officer Association's Award of Merit three times, 
he was also awarded the Salinas Police Department Outstanding Duty 
Award twice.
  Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues in the House of Representatives to 
join me in congratulating Commander Matthew Maldonado for his years of 
service to our community on the Central Coast. I extend my gratitude to 
all those who selflessly dedicate their lives to serving their 
community. I extend my personal appreciation to Commander Matthew 
Maldonado and his dedication to the community of Salinas.