Hector L Villarreal, Assistant Professor for Criminal Justice, Forensic and Law Enforcement, is a retired Special Agent, Criminal Investigator with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Agency.  Villarreal was born and raised in Alice, Texas and is an alumnus of Alice High School.  Villarreal began his law enforcement career in 1984 with the Kingsville Police Department until 1986.  He joined the U.S. Army in 1986 as an Infantryman until his end of term service in 1994 as a Staff Sergeant.  During his time with the U.S. Army, he was a Drill Sergeant at the U.S. Army Infantry School in Fort Benning, Georgia and was cadre for the Primary Leadership Development Course (PLDC) at the Fort Hood Non-Commissioned Officer Academy in Fort Hood, Texas.  Villarreal is a veteran of Operation Just Cause, Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm and is currently the Commander for the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 8621 and is the District 6 Commander for the State of Texas. 

Villarreal began his federal law enforcement career in March of 1996 with the Department of Justice (DOJ), U.S. Border Patrol as a Border Patrol Agent, Senior Patrol Agent and Supervisory Border Patrol Agent until October 2009. During his time with the U.S. Border Patrol, he certified through the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) as a Basic Instructor, Law Instructor, Spanish Instructor, Firearms Instructor and Driving Instructor instructing at both basic and advanced levels in Glynco, Georgia; Charleston, South Carolina and Artesia, New Mexico.   

While stationed in Brackettville, Laredo North, Hebbronville, Falfurrias and Laredo South stations, he experienced the challenging effects of transnational smuggling and trafficking of undocumented aliens, weapons, narcotics and other homeland security issues.  In October of 2009, Villarreal transferred to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS,) Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency stationed in Corpus Christi, Texas as a Special Agent, Criminal Investigator until his retirement in May of 2016.  

During his time with ICE, Villarreal instructed at the ICE Special Agent Training Academy at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) in Glynco, Georgia as an Assistant Professor.  Villarreal was a Spanish, instructor, Law instructor, Firearms instructor and a Driving instructor for the U.S. Border Patrol.  Villarreal is a certified instructor through the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE), certification number 73513. 

Villarreal earned his Associate of Arts in General Studies, Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice and a Master of Science in Criminal Justice all from the University of Colorado. 

Villarreal’s hobbies include participating in 5K, 10K and running events.  He enjoys church, family time, football games and bar-be-cues.  He enjoys listening to Tejano and Salsa music and is part of the Salsa group, Orquestra Afinque out of Corpus Christi, Texas.