Roll of Honor
Eric Cespedes
Incident
Supervisory Border Patrol Agent Eric Cespedes drowned while attempting to save his children, who were caught in a rip current off South Padre Island, Texas.
Around 3:30 p.m., Agent Cespedes entered the water and pulled his children out of a rip current. When he returned to the beach, he collapsed. Despite immediate life-saving measures, he passed away at Valley Baptist Medical Center.
Supervisory Border Patrol Agent Cespedes had served with the United States Department of Homeland Security - Customs and Border Protection - United States Border Patrol for 17 years, assigned to the Rio Grande Valley Sector.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife, three children, mother, and four siblings.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-FED-FCDD5164- 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 never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Supervisory Border Patrol Agent Cespedes gave the United States Department of Homeland Security 17 years.
Thank you for your service. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Supervisory Border Patrol Agent Cespedes.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Supervisory Border Patrol Agent Eric Cespedes is one of 10,088 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 31% of all 32,508 officers honored here.
In DC, 454 of 1,419 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 32% of this state's fallen. That is 1 percentage points above the national rate of 31%.
At United States Department of Homeland Security - Customs and Border Protection - United States Border Patrol, 32 of 63 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 50.8% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Eric Cespedes's cause is highlighted.
How Eric Cespedes Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Eric Cespedes is highlighted in Jul.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
62 officers from United States Department of Homeland Security - Customs and Border Protection - United States Border Patrol are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
