U.S. Sens. John Cornyn and Ted Cruz, Republicans from Texas, introduced a bill on July 20 to honor a fallen Border Patrol Agent. The legislation would rename the United States Postal Service office in McAllen, Texas, for Agent Raul Gonzalez Jr., who was killed in the line of duty this past December.
“Agent Gonzalez selflessly made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our country,” Cornyn said in the news release, “and his commitment to ensuring public safety for more than a decade should be remembered for generations to come,” said Sen. Cornyn.
Gonzalez was killed Dec. 7 when he crashed ATV he was operating “at high speed” while he was pursuing a group of migrants attempting to cross the border in Mission, Texas, CBS New Texas reported at the time. Gonzalez, 38, had two children and had worked with the Department of Homeland Security, Customs and Border Protection, and U.S. Border Patrol for more than 10 years, CBS reported.
If the bill is approved, the post office would be the Agent Raul H. Gonzalez Jr. Memorial Post Office, according to the release. A version of the bill was previously introduced by Rep. Monica De La Cruz (R-Texas) in the House, the release states.
“I’m proud to support the renaming of the McAllen United States Postal Service to the Agent Raul H. Gonzalez Jr. Memorial Post Office. The renamed post office will serve as a reminder for years to come of the ultimate sacrifice made by Agent Gonzalez and of others like him in the line of duty,” Cruz said in the release. “This postal office will not only honor Agent Gonzalez, but will also serve as a reminder of the importance of upholding our responsibility to securing our border to protect the lives of our Customs and Border Patrol agents.”
