[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 7]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 9533]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     TRIBUTE TO MR. JOHN W. MONTOYA

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. HENRY CUELLAR

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, May 24, 2006

  Mr. CUELLAR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Mr. John W. Montoya, 
chief patrol agent for the Laredo Sector of the U.S. Border Patrol, for 
his incredible dedication to the city of Laredo, TX. He will retire 
from his long and distinguished 29 years of service in the Border 
Patrol on Friday, May 26, 2006.
  Mr. Montoya was born in Albuquerque, NM, where he spent his youth, 
and later attended El Paso Community College where he earned an 
associate in business administration. He also attended the University 
of New Mexico and the University of Texas at El Paso. He and his wife, 
Silvia, have six children.
  Mr. Montoya first joined the Border Patrol in 1976 as an agent in the 
El Paso Sector. In 1982, he was promoted to supervisory Border Patrol 
agent, a position he held until 1987, when he was promoted to deputy 
regional chief of the Border Patrol for the INS Regional Office in 
Dallas, TX. In 1990, he left the regional office for an appointment as 
assistant chief patrol agent for the Del Rio Sector, and after another 
tour in the Dallas Regional Office as assistant regional director for 
Border Patrol, he returned to Del Rio for the position of deputy chief 
patrol agent. In 2004, he was appointed and selected for the Senior 
Executive Service, SES, which is made up of leaders with proven 
executive skills, who have a strong commitment to government and to 
public service.
  As chief patrol agent for the Laredo Sector of the U.S. Border 
Patrol, he was responsible for an area of 110,000 square miles and 172 
river miles of border, with a large staff of 987 agents on board and 
126 support personnel. The Laredo Sector extends as far north as the 
Oklahoma border and includes the cities of Dallas, San Antonio, Austin, 
and Houston. His service in law enforcement and protecting our border 
is truly commendable. It is always sad to lose such a valued member of 
the law enforcement community in South Texas, and I wish him and his 
family the best in their future endeavors.
  Mr. Speaker, I am honored to have had this time to recognize the 
bravery and dedication of John W. Montoya.

                          ____________________