Eagle Pass City Council Confirms New Police Chief Federico Garza, Jr.
By: Ricardo E. Calderon, Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc., Copyright 2022
The City of Eagle Pass, Texas City Council unanimously confirmed the selection and hiring of new Police Chief Federico Garza, Jr. at a special meeting held on Tuesday, January 25, 2022, at City Hall.
City Manager George Antuna advised City Council that after a long search for a new Chief of Police of the Eagle Pass Police Department, he was pleased to announce that Federico Garza, Jr. was selected among 18 applicants for the position after interviewing three finalists. Antuna added that Garza had agreed to accept the position of Police Chief upon being selected and the matter was placed on the City Council agenda for confirmation of his hiring.
Antuna previously stated that the City Manager is responsible for the selection and hiring of the Police Chief pursuant to the City Charter, but Mayor Rolando Salinas, Jr. had participated in the interviews of the three finalists. Antuna noted Garza was selected based on his extensive law enforcement experience with multiple agencies, including being a retired Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) Narcotics Division Lieutenant, former City of Uvalde Police Chief, Chief Deputy of Webb County Sheriff’s Department, and as the City of Eagle Lake Police Chief.
Garza was present, together with his wife and a sister in law, at the City Council meeting and briefly addressed the Council. Garza thanked the City of Eagle Pass for giving him the opportunity to serve as the Police Chief of the Eagle Pass Police Department and vowed to serve and protect the citizens of Eagle Pass.
Garza stated that “I will not let the citizens of Eagle Pass down, and I will give it my All” as the new Police Chief. He added that the City of Eagle Pass “will have a long, full commitment from me for as long as you want me here.”
Garza, a native of Laredo, Texas, noted that serving in Eagle Pass will allow him to live closer to his family in Laredo. Garza is a graduate of Laredo Martin High School, where he met his wife and married shortly after high school and have been happily married for 48 years now.
Garza served in the United States Navy after high school and later served with DPS for 24 years from 1981 to 2008, starting as a Trooper and later serving as a Lieutenant in the Narcotics Division. He also served as the City of Uvalde Police Chief from 2005 to 2008 as well as Chief Deputy with the Webb County Sheriff’s Department from 2009 to 2019. He is currently the City of Eagle Lake, Texas Police Chief since 2020, which he has tendered his letter of resignation in order to accept the City of Eagle Pass Police Chief position.
Garza earned a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from Texas A & M University in Corpus Christi, Texas and is a graduate of the Leadership Command College at Sam Houston State University. He holds a Master Peace Officer Certificate and Instructor Certificate from the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officer.
Following the City Council’s confirmation of Garza’s hiring as the new Eagle Pass Police Chief, the Council took a group photograph with Garza and his lovely wife and welcomed both to Eagle Pass. Earlier on January 25, Garza toured the Eagle Pass Police Department and introduced himself to the police officers and staff. Garza is expected to start on February 16, 2022 in his new position as Eagle Pass Police Chief.
