U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Special Agent Jaime Zapata was shot and killed in the line of duty after he was attacked by unknown assailants while driving between Monterrey, Mexico, and Mexico City two years ago, on February 15. During the attack, a second ICE special agent was shot twice in the leg.
This year, ICE offered up the 15th as a day of remembrance to honor Jaime, his family and his ultimate sacrifice.
Special Agent Zapata joined ICE in 2006. He was assigned to the Office of the Deputy Special Agent in Charge in Laredo, Texas, where he served on the Human Smuggling and Trafficking Unit as well as the Border Enforcement Security Task Force. He most recently was detailed to ICE’s attaché office at the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City.
Special Agent Zapata began his federal law enforcement career with the Department of Homeland Security as a member of the U.S. Border Patrol in Yuma, Arizona. A native of Brownsville, Texas, Special Agent Zapata graduated from the University of Texas at Brownsville in 2005 with a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice.