Deputy Commissioner, U.S. Customs and Border Protection

On April 11, 2010, David V. Aguilar was named Deputy Commissioner of U. S. Customs and Border Protection. During his appointment as Deputy Commissioner, Mr. Aguilar will serve as Chief Operating Officer, overseeing the daily operations of CBP’s 57,000-employee workforce and managing an operating budget of more than $11 billion.

Mr. Aguilar’s primary focus will be to ensure that CBP’s mission of protecting our nation’s borders from terrorists and terrorist weapons is carried out effectively in partnership and unison with our country’s other Federal, state, local and foreign partners. Carrying out CBP’s other border-related responsibilities of keeping out illegal drugs and illegal aliens, securing and facilitating legitimate global trade and travel, and protecting our food supply and agriculture industry from pests and disease will also be a main priority.

On July 1, 2004, David V. Aguilar was named Chief of the United States Border Patrol, assuming the position as the Nation’s highest ranking Border Patrol Agent. With his knowledge of the job and his expertise gained from over 31 years of service with the Border Patrol, Chief Aguilar directed the enforcement efforts of more than 20,000 Border Patrol Agents nationwide.

Prior to his position of Chief, United States Border Patrol, Mr. Aguilar was the Chief Patrol Agent of the Tucson Sector. As Chief, Tucson Sector, he had over 2,000 Border Patrol Agents under his command and over 200 support personnel. He had oversight of eight geographically dispersed Border Patrol Stations along 261 miles of the Arizona/Mexico border. In 2003, the Tucson Sector was awarded the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office of Anti-Terrorism Commissioner’s Award for operational achievements under Operation Desert Safeguard, an operation planned, designed and implemented in the high-risk areas of the Tucson Sector. In March 2004, Homeland Security Under Secretary Asa Hutchinson designated Chief Aguilar as the Border and Transportation Security Integrator for the execution of the Arizona Border Control Initiative. In 2004, Chief Aguilar was also elected as the President of the Southern Arizona Federal Executive Association.

Before his Tucson Sector assignment, Chief Aguilar served as Assistant Regional Director for the Border Patrol in the Central Region of the former Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS). Chief Aguilar was the principal assistant, advisor, and strategic planner to the Regional Director where he managed, directed and guided the Regional Border Patrol Program from August 1996 to November 1999. Chief Aguilar served as Patrol Agent in Charge of three Border Patrol Stations in Texas from 1988 to August 1996 - Dallas, Rio Grande Valley and Brownsville. Under his command, the Dallas and Brownsville Border Patrol Stations were both awarded the Commissioner’s Award for Group Achievement. At the time, the Brownsville Station was the largest Border Patrol Station in the Central Region.

Chief Aguilar entered on duty with the United States Border Patrol in June 1978 at Laredo, Texas, where he held the positions of first line supervisor, Assistant Patrol Agent in Charge and Patrol Agent in Charge.

Mr. Aguilar received an Associates Degree in Accounting from Laredo Community College, attended Laredo State University and University of Texas at Arlington. He is a graduate of the John F. Kennedy School of Government Harvard Senior Executive Fellows. He is a recipient of the 2005 President’s Meritorious Excellence Award, and in 2008, Chief Aguilar was a recipient of the Presidential Rank Award. Chief Aguilar and his wife of 35 years, Bea, have three children and three grandchildren.