End of Watch May 28, 2021
Age 45
Tour of Duty 18 yrs
The Vigil Panel 175 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Location: Texas Incident Date: Not available

Border Patrol Agent Juan Urrutia died as the result of complications from contracting COVID-19 in the line of duty.

Agent Urrutia had served with the United States Border Patrol for 18 years and was assigned to the Brownsville Border Patrol Station in Brownsville, Texas.

COVID-19 and Law Enforcement

Border Patrol Agent Juan Manuel Urrutia died on May 28, 2021 of COVID-19 contracted in the line of duty. He was 45.

He is one of 884 officers honored here, and one of 17 at United States Department of Homeland Security - Customs and Border Protection - United States Border Patrol.

Beginning in early 2020, law enforcement officers across the country contracted COVID-19 in the course of their duties. While much of the nation sheltered at home, they kept answering calls, making arrests, transporting prisoners, and working face to face with the public. There was no distance to be had from the job.

Corrections officers were hit hardest. Confined facilities and large populations meant constant, close, unavoidable exposure.

Survivors

He is survived by his wife, three brothers, and two sisters.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-FED-6C86EA9E
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

The country locked its doors. You kept working.
Border Patrol Agent Urrutia gave the United States Department of Homeland Security 18 years.
Thank you for your service. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Border Patrol Agent Urrutia.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Location Washington, DC
Platform Identity usdhscbpusbpfed.fed.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch May 28, 2021
Tour of Duty 18 yrs
Age 45
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Illness
Cause Detail COVID19

Border Patrol Agent Juan Manuel Urrutia is one of 2,974 officers lost to illness connected to their service across the full record of this memorial — 9.1% of all 32,508 officers honored here.

In DC, 137 of 1,419 officers were lost to illness connected to their service — 9.7% of this state's fallen. That is 0.6 percentage points above the national rate of 9.1%.

At United States Department of Homeland Security - Customs and Border Protection - United States Border Patrol, 21 of 63 officers on record were lost to illness connected to their service — 33.3% of this agency's fallen.

United States Department of Homeland Security - Customs and Border Protection - United States Border Patrol
21
of 63 officers
33.3% Illness
DC — Statewide
137
of 1,419 officers
9.7% Illness
Nationwide
2,974
of 32,508 officers
9.1% Illness

National Cause Distribution

How Illness compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Juan Manuel Urrutia's cause is highlighted.

Felonious
17,623 (54.2%)
Accident
10,088 (31%)
Illness
2,974 (9.1%)
Cardiac
1,306 (4%)
Undetermined
260 (0.8%)
Suicide
256 (0.8%)
vehicular
1 (0%)

How Juan Manuel Urrutia Compares

Age at End of Watch
45
This officer
Avg for Illness: 47.8 years
Years of Service
18
This officer
Avg for Illness: 18.9 years

When Illness Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Illness deaths across the full memorial record. Juan Manuel Urrutia is highlighted in May.

Jan
294
Feb
198
Mar
185
Apr
226
May
201
Jun
181
Jul
217
Aug
281
Sep
291
Oct
376
Nov
239
Dec
285

Incident Location