Officer Down Memorial Page

Mi hermano-my brother, it has been 15 years since that fatal day. Wow. I still talk about you to anyone that will listen. We know what the agency said about you, about the fact that you were recognized as a hero. I on the other hand tell people that you were more than that. Yours was a life full of dedication to your family and to the Customs Service. We became friends and eventually brothers. Our interest in our work and family kept us together. We were both adventurous. We found fun in our work where others found work. We were a team, and as a result we backed each other up and worked together as advisors for the U.S. Customs Explorer program. As a result over 85% of the 40 plus teenagers that we trained are today professionals with ICE, CBP, and other law enforcement agencies. I am extremely proud of the results of our efforts. This is why we as a team were so effective because we worked together. 15 years and teenagers today know about you. When I am asked about what it was like to work in Puerto Rico during the 80's and 90's, I tell them that it was an adventure made easier and more successful because of my brother Manual VII Zurita. Love you and miss you a lot.

Senior Special Agent-Retired
U.S. Customs Service-Office of Investigation
January 1, 2013

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