United States Department of the Treasury - United States Secret Service, U.S. Government
End of Watch: Wednesday, December 31, 1986
Age: 49
Tour of Duty: 18 years
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Fire
Date of Incident: December 31, 1986
Weapon Used: Arson
Suspect Info: Sentenced to prison terms
Special Agent Manuel De J Marrero-Otero died in a fire at the Dupont Plaza Hotel fire in San Juan, Puerto Rico, while interviewing hotel employees as part of an investigation into a counterfeit money ring.
Three suspects plead guilty to arson and murder charges and were sentenced to prison terms ranging from 75 to 99 years.
The New Year's Eve fire claimed between 96 and 98 lives and caused 140 injuries in what is deemed the most catastrophic hotel fire in Puerto Rican history and was the second deadliest hotel fire in U.S. history at the time.