End of Watch December 2, 2020
Age 45
Tour of Duty 18 yrs
The Vigil Panel 173 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Location: Texas Incident Date: Not available

Officer Jose Santana died from complications after contracting COVID-19 while on duty at the Laredo Port of Entry in Laredo, Texas.

Officer Santana had served with the Customs and Border Protection - Office of Field Operations for 12 years and had previously served with the Laredo Police Department for six years.

COVID-19 and Law Enforcement

Officer Jose Antonio Santana died on December 2, 2020 of COVID-19 contracted in the line of duty. He was 45.

He is one of 884 officers honored here, and one of 29 at United States Department of Homeland Security - Customs and Border Protection - Office of Field Operations.

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, daughter, parents, and two siblings.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-FED-B8C29BFE
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.
Officer Santana gave the United States Department of Homeland Security 18 years.
Thank you for your service. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Officer Santana.

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

Agency

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

Service Record

End of Watch December 2, 2020
Tour of Duty 18 yrs
Age 45
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Illness
Cause Detail COVID19

Officer Jose Antonio Santana 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 - Office of Field Operations, 30 of 39 officers on record were lost to illness connected to their service — 76.9% of this agency's fallen.

United States Department of Homeland Security - Customs and Border Protection - Office of Field Operations
30
of 39 officers
76.9% 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. Jose Antonio Santana'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 Jose Antonio Santana 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. Jose Antonio Santana is highlighted in Dec.

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