United States Department of the Treasury - United States Customs Service - Office of Investigations, U.S. Government
End of Watch: Tuesday, January 6, 1998
Age: 46
Tour of Duty: 12 years
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Boating accident
Date of Incident: January 1, 1998
Weapon Used: Not available
Suspect Info: Not available
Investigator Manuel Zurita died on January 6th, 1998, from injuries he sustained in a boating accident on January 1st, 1998, while assisting the United States Secret Service with a presidential protection detail for President William Clinton.
He and two other customs agents were securing the waters to assure a safe landing for Air Force One when their boat hit a coral reef outside of St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Investigator Zurita was air-lifted with massive injuries to a hospital in San Juan, Puerto Rico, where he later died of his injuries. The two other agents were seriously injured in the accident.
Investigator Zurita had served with the Customs Service for 12 years. He is survived by his wife and four children.