Roll of Honor
James S. Litz
Incident
Air Interdiction Agent James Litz suffered a fatal heart attack after completing a preflight check of a P-3 Orion in Panama City, Panama, while on a temporary duty assignment in support of Joint Interagency Task Force South.
He had already completed three back-to-back 10-hour missions and was preparing for another one when he collapsed outside the briefing room. The pre- and post-flight checks involved climbing up and down the exterior of the aircraft multiple times in the tropical heat.
Agent Litz was a U.S. Navy veteran and had served with the United States Customs and Border Protection and the former United States Customs Service for 22 years.
Survivors
He is survived by his wife, two daughters, son, mother, and sister.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-FED-285E3362- Stewardship
- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- Added to badge.nw
- April 2, 2026
- Last updated
- July 23, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
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Tributes
I served 1985 to 1993. You served too, before the badge - different uniform, same idea. You go where you are sent and you do not get to pick the call.
Air Interdiction Agent Litz gave the United States Department of Homeland Security 22 years.
Thank you for your service. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Military Service
James S. Litz served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.
Air Interdiction Agent James S. Litz is one of 1,306 officers lost to cardiac events in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 4% of all 32,508 officers honored here.
In DC, 71 of 1,419 officers were lost to cardiac events in the line of duty — 5% of this state's fallen. That is 1 percentage points above the national rate of 4%.
At United States Department of Homeland Security - Customs and Border Protection - Air and Marine Operations, 1 of 9 officers on record were lost to cardiac events in the line of duty — 11.1% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Cardiac compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. James S. Litz's cause is highlighted.
How James S. Litz Compares
When Cardiac Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Cardiac deaths across the full memorial record. James S. Litz is highlighted in Sep.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
8 officers from United States Department of Homeland Security - Customs and Border Protection - Air and Marine Operations are honored on badge.nw.
