HECTOR L VILLARREAL
Hector L. Villarreal is a retired Special Agent, Criminal Investigator with the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Agency. Hector was born and raised in Alice, Texas is a 1983 graduate of Alice High School. Hector began his law enforcement career in 1984 with the Kingsville Police Department until 1986. Hector 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. Hector is a veteran of Operation Just Cause, Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm and is currently the Commander for the Veterans of Foreign War (VFW) Post 8621 and the District 6 Commander.
Hector began his federal law enforcement career in March of 1996 with the Department of Justice, 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 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 station, he experienced the challenging effects of transnational smuggling and trafficking of undocumented aliens, weapons, narcotics and other homeland security issues. In October of 2009, Hector transferred to the Department of Homeland Security, 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, Hector instructed the ICE Special Agent Training at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) in Glynco, Georgia as an Adjunct Professor. Hector is a certified instructor through the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE).
Hector earned his Associate of Arts in General Studies, Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice and a Master of Science in Criminal Justice from the University of Colorado.
Hector’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. He is married to Betty Villarreal and together they have seven (7) children and seven (7) grandchildren.