EXCLUSIVE — A U.S. Border Patrol agent based in Texas died Wednesday, the Washington Examiner has learned.
The agent, Jorge Maldonado, was a supervisor based in Eagle Pass in south-central Texas. Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-TX), whose district includes Eagle Pass, additionally confirmed to the Washington Examiner on Wednesday evening that Maldonado died.
Details surrounding the cause of death have yet to be released by the government. Initial reports from two of the agent’s colleagues stated that Maldonado died in the line of duty.
However, a clarification made to the Washington Examiner on Thursday morning following publication stated that the timing of the death had yet to be determined.
Maldonado was featured in a Facebook post by the city of Eagle Pass in 2020 in a celebration for Border Patrol agents who had recently graduated as emergency medical technicians.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the federal agency that oversees the Border Patrol, did not respond to requests for comment.
A private Facebook page for agents in Eagle Pass posted information about Maldonado’s death Wednesday, with members commenting to express their condolences to the community.
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In March, Border Patrol agent Chris Luna died in a helicopter crash while on duty. Luna was also based out of one of the Border Patrol’s stations in Eagle Pass.
The Border Patrol has roughly 19,000 agents nationwide. Line-of-duty deaths are rare.
