Funeral services held for fallen Border Patrol agent Rogelio Martinez
The area surrounding Our Lady of Guadalupe Church seemed still.
There were hundreds of people present yet — there was a somber silence throughout.
Family and friends waited under the sun and the symbol of the cross at the small church while an American flag towered over Alabama Street waving through the breeze.
Dozens of agents stood at attention waiting for a fallen friend.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the family. We are going to miss one of our own when he goes, especially in circumstances like this,” said Ramiro Cordero, Border Patrol spokesman.
Cordero reminds everyone why it’s important to honor a fallen agent.
“They laid their lives down for us and for the rest of the citizenry of the United States. They are deserving of the honor,” Cordero said.
Dozens of agencies attended the mass.
Dallas police, Socorro police, Park Rangers, and the Horizon Fire Department among others.
“It’s a great privilege and we thank them for joining hands with us in these hard moments for us but it’s not just for us it’s for the nation. We’ve lost another guardian of our borders,” Cordero said.
Cordero told ABC-7 Rogelio Martinez gave the ultimate sacrifice for a sworn duty many take to protect us.
“Just like any other police officer, any other peace officer we took an oath to protect those who we serve to protect our nation to protect the citizens,” Cordero said.
The cause of Martinez’s death last Sunday is under investigation. His partner, whose name hasn’t been released, was also seriously injured.
Both agents were found Nov. 18 in a culvert near Van Horn, 30 miles (50 kilometers) from the border with Mexico and 110 miles (175 kilometers) southeast of El Paso.
Investigators are trying to determine what happened to the agents.
