Border Patrol Chief Raul Ortiz told the agency charged with protecting the United States' borders on Tuesday he will be retiring at the end of June after serving for 32 years.
"I leave at ease, knowing we have a tremendous uniformed and professional workforce, strong relationships with our union partners, and outstanding leaders who will continue to tirelessly advocate for you each day. Throughout the years, my level of commitment to the mission and our great nation has never wavered," Ortiz said.
#BREAKING U.S. Border Patrol Chief Raul Ortiz has announced his retirement after 32 years with the agency.
— Ali Bradley (@AliBradleyTV) May 31, 2023
“I leave at ease, knowing we have a tremendous uniformed and professional workforce, strong relationships with our union partners, and outstanding leaders who will continue… pic.twitter.com/GHQfYKK9Cz
I want to congratulate @USBPChief on his retirement after more than 3 decades of service to our country. He has numerous accolades and awards from his tenure in the Patrol, but the highest compliment we can bestow on him is that he is a great agent.
— CBP Troy Miller (@CBPTroyMiller) May 31, 2023
My full statement ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/04T0PmUoZv
Ortiz's tenure was roiled by the consistently high number of illegal immigrants entering the United States after replacing former Chief Rodney Scott, who was pushed out by the Biden administration for resisting their open border policies. Ortiz became especially unpopular with the rank and file after horseback agents were falsely accused of whipping Haitians entering Texas during the Del Rio bridge crisis. Agents say they were disappointed and frustrated Ortiz did not do enough to publicly show support for men involved in the incident.
Ortiz made headlines earlier this year after admitting during a House Homeland Security Committee hearing in Pharr, Texas that his agency did not have operational control in many sectors along the U.S.-Mexico border. This was seen as a direct rebuttal to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, who said they do have operational control. Mayorkas has since said the statue definition of operational control is not realistically possible and no other secretary has meet its requirements.
"He was the worst chief of the Border Patrol. It seemed he was covering for Mayorkas and Biden. Most of the agents are wondering if he was forced to retire since he recently came out telling the truth of what’s happening at the border. Now we wait to see what puppet will take the job," one Border Patrol agent told Townhall.
The National Border Patrol Council took a more conciliatory tone in their statement about Ortiz, saying he was put in an impossible situation during his time as chief and did his best under the circumstances.
Over the past two years Chief Raul Ortiz presided over the agency charged with carrying out the most politicized mission in the country. He did a great job and worked tirelessly behind the scenes to advocate for Border Patrol agents, including the horse patrol. He was put in…
— Border Patrol Union - NBPC (@BPUnion) May 31, 2023