Texas Border Business
Texas Border Business
After nearly thirty years of dedicated service, U.S. Border Patrol Chief Jason Owens will retire on April 30, 2025. Chief Owens, who became the agency’s 26th leader in June 2023, has had a distinguished career spanning various roles and responsibilities within the Border Patrol.
Owens, a native of Tahlequah, Oklahoma, and a member of the Cherokee Nation, began his Border Patrol journey in 1996. Over the years, he has served across multiple sectors, including assignments on both the northern and southern borders, and he has held a leadership role at the U.S. Border Patrol Academy. Prior to his appointment as Chief, Owens led the Del Rio Sector in Texas, one of the busiest along the U.S.-Mexico border.
During his tenure as Chief, Owens navigated the agency through significant challenges, including unprecedented surges in migrant crossings. On his service, Owens stated TO Yahoo News, “I hadn’t seen anything like [the recent surges]. It was as bad as I had seen in my entire career, but the men and women of the Border Patrol were always working tirelessly to manage the crisis and keep bad actors out.”
U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) issued the following statement on the retirement announcement of Jason Owens, former Chief of the U.S. Border Patrol. “I’ve worked alongside Jason for over a decade while he served as Laredo’s Sector Deputy Chief Patrol Agent, then led the Del Rio Sector as its Chief Patrol Agent and now as the 26th Chief of the U.S. Border Patrol in Washington, DC. Jason’s leadership has been an example of unwavering commitment to our country’s safety and security. I wish him a happy retirement on April 30th and every success in his next chapter. On behalf of the people of Texas and the entire nation, thank you.”
Following Owens’s retirement, Texas Border Czar Mike Banks has been appointed as the new U.S. Border Patrol Chief. Banks brings over three decades of federal law enforcement experience, including significant time dedicated to managing the U.S.-Mexico border. Previously, Banks served as the first-ever border czar for Texas, a role created by Governor Greg Abbott to address the surge in illegal immigration.
As Chief Owens prepares to retire, he looks forward to spending time with his family in Del Rio, Texas. He expressed pride in the agency’s accomplishments and optimism for its future under new leadership. “It has been the greatest privilege to be counted among their rank and alongside them. I could not be prouder of what they do daily,” Owens remarked.
