US Border Patrol Acting Deputy Chief Joel Martinez suspended – Law Officer

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Border Patrol Acting Deputy Chief Joel Martinez was suspended on Thursday without much of an explanation, according to reports.

Martinez departed from the agency’s Washington headquarters immediately following his suspension, The Washington Post reported, citing three Customs and Border Protection (CBP) sources.

CBP did not provide details surrounding the suspension, yet the agency led people to believe some kind of “misconduct” was involved due to a statement released by spokeswoman Erin Waters, reported The Western Journal. 

“CBP does not tolerate misconduct within our ranks” Waters said. “When we discover any alleged or potential misconduct, we immediately refer it for investigation and cooperate fully with any criminal or administrative investigations. Federal privacy laws prohibit discussion of individual cases.”

Martinez has been acting deputy chief since last month, The Washington Post reported.

A June 2023 post on the CBP website said Martinez had been with the agency for 31 years at that time. He began his career as a Border Patrol agent at the Laredo South Border Patrol Station in 1992.