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Fired RGV Sector Border Patrol Chief Gloria Chavez, pictures from social events with Uni-Trade CEO Eduardo Garza and Tequila maker Francisco Javier Gonzalez

Brownsville, Texas – Gloria Chavez, a longtime U.S. Border Patrol official and native of Brownsville, has been removed from her position as Chief Patrol Agent of the Rio Grande Valley (RGV) Sector, following growing scrutiny over her associations with a Mexican tequila maker and a politically connected South Texas businessman.

Chavez, who had a 30-year career with Border Patrol, was escorted out of the agency’s Edinburg headquarters by internal investigators last week, according to sources familiar with the situation. Her dismissal marks a dramatic fall from grace for a career official who once held some of the highest leadership positions within the agency.

Jason E. Schneider, Acting Border Patrol Chief for RGV Sector

Jason E. Schneider, formerly the deputy chief patrol agent, has been named the acting chief for the RGV Sector.

While officials have not publicly disclosed the reason for Chavez’s termination, multiple sources have linked it to an ongoing ethics investigation by Customs and Border Protection’s Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) and the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General. The investigation centers on Chavez’s alleged failure to disclose social ties and gifts from Eduardo Garza, a prominent Laredo businessman and CEO of Uni-Trade, and Francisco Javier González, a tequila distiller from Jalisco, Mexico.

Chavez and other top Border Patrol officials, including agency-wide Chief Jason Owens, were investigated for attending multiple lavish events hosted by Garza, both in Texas and Mexico. These events included ranch dinners, transportation by shuttle, and entertainment such as mariachi bands and comedians. Chavez reportedly also traveled to Guadalajara with Garza and later visited González’s tequila distillery, where discussions were held about launching a commemorative “Border Patrol” tequila for the agency’s 100th anniversary.

Photos from one event in February show Chavez, Owens, and Garza celebrating at the tequila facility with birthday cake and cigars. Investigators are now looking into who paid for the travel, food, and entertainment and whether proper disclosures were made, as required by CBP ethics policies. CBP employees are prohibited from accepting gifts, including hospitality, from individuals or businesses regulated by the agency, a category that could apply to Garza, whose firm operates in the customs and trade advisory space.

Garza, who has deep political and social ties in South Texas, denies having provided transportation or lodging for Chavez or Owens and says all events were personal gatherings, not official business. He maintains he has no business dealings with Border Patrol.

Still, the optics and the overlap between social and professional roles have drawn criticism from within the agency. Several rank-and-file agents have called the situation “embarrassing,” raising concerns about agency leadership and its public image.

Chavez’s departure comes less than three years after she took command of the RGV Sector, which includes over 277 miles of river border and spans 34 counties in South Texas. She had previously served as chief of the El Paso Sector and held leadership positions in California, Washington state, and CBP headquarters in Washington, D.C.

For Chavez, a Brownsville native who rose through the ranks to one of the top posts in Border Patrol, the ethics probe and sudden ouster represent a jarring end to a distinguished public service career, now clouded by allegations of questionable associations and blurred ethical lines.