U.S. Marshals Celebrate 225 Years of Service
Del Rio, Texas – Today the U.S. Marshals Service celebrates its 225th anniversary. As the nation’s oldest, most versatile federal law enforcement agency, it continues to build on its legacy of steadfast service and its unique position in the country’s federal justice system.
In commemorating this significant occasion, Texas Governor Rick Perry presented a certificate of appreciation and congratulations to the U.S. Marshals Service acknowledging 225 years of dedicated service and protection for the American people. Robert R. Almonte, United States Marshal for the Western District of Texas, states, “We would like to thank Governor Perry and all Texans for their enormous support. We will continue our mission of providing judicial security and apprehending dangerous fugitives for many years to come.”
The U.S. Marshals Service’s legendary origins began in 1789 when the nation’s first president appointed the first U.S. Marshals. U.S. Marshals Service Director Stacia Hylton states, “When President George Washington appointed the first 13 U.S. Marshals Sept. 24, 1789, his pen marked the creation of an agency that has since played a role in virtually every facet of the nation’s federal judiciary during times of crisis and times of peace. From upholding the law in our untamed western territories to enforcing orders related to civil rights, the U.S. Marshals Service has been committed to answering the call of our great nation. As we mark 225 years of service, our men and women stand ready to continue that commitment.”
Today, the U.S. Marshals Service is a force of 5,400 deputies and civil servants who carry out operational and administrative duties as varied as apprehending fugitives, housing and transporting prisoners, protecting witnesses and federal judges, and managing and selling seized assets. Most notably, the Marshals Service is the federal government’s primary agency for conducting fugitive investigations. Working with its law enforcement partners at the federal, state, and local levels, the Marshals apprehend more federal fugitives than all other federal law enforcement agencies combined. The U.S. Marshals arrested more than 110,000 fugitives during fiscal year 2013.
The Lone Star Fugitive Task Force, which serves the Western District of Texas to include Alpine, Austin, Del Rio, El Paso, Midland, Pecos, San Antonio, and Waco, was responsible for executing and clearing almost 7000 federal and state active arrest warrants in fiscal year 2013. Among those arrested were some of the most violent and dangerous fugitives in the state who were charged with murder, sexual assault, possession of controlled substances, or failure to register as sex offenders. “Our task force officers are by far some of the most highly trained, reliable, and hardworking investigators in the U.S. Marshals Service. When arrests need to be made, they strap up their boots, they put their lives on the line, and they get the job done,” said U.S. Marshal Almonte.
Other agency accomplishments include protecting the federal courts and facilities from more than 1,000 threats and inappropriate communications, daily managing the care and transport of nearly 60,000 prisoners, and combating major criminal activity by stripping criminals of their ill‐gotten gains and distributing $200 million to victims of crime through the effective management and disposition of assets seized for forfeiture. In addition, through the enforcement of the Adam Walsh Act, the U.S. Marshals Service helps protect our communities and children from noncompliant sex offenders.
“As we mark this tremendous milestone of 225 years, I am honored to lead an organization made up of so many dedicated professionals, and I am proud of their commitment to and embodiment of our motto of justice, integrity and service,” said Director Hylton.
Additional informational about the U.S. Marshals Service can be found at http://www.usmarshals.gov or http://www.usmarshals.gov/district/tx-w/index.html.
