Roll of Honor
Incident
Texas Ranger Captain Frank Jones was shot and killed while attempting to arrest suspected cattle rustlers. Captain Jones, along with five other Rangers and an El Paso County Deputy Sheriff, obtained a warrant for the arrest of a man and his son, who were part of the Olguin Clan. The Olguin clan members were known outlaws and lived in no man's land on Pirate Island, situated in the middle of the Rio Grande River between Texas and Mexico across from El Paso County. While Mexico claimed jurisdiction over the disputed island, parts of the island were in Texas. The Texas Rangers would later claim they did not realize they were in Mexico until after the gun battle. The lawmen saw two Mexican riders flee, dismount, and enter some adobe building in the Town of Tres Jacales, Mexico. As Captain Jones and his men approached, gunfire erupted from inside the buildings and the surrounding brush. Jones was wounded in the thigh and fell from his horse. He straightened his leg out and continued firing. One of the privates came to his assistance, but Jones told the other men to save themselves. Seconds later, he was riddled with bullets and died. The vastly outnumbered lawmen returned to Texas to summon assistance. The El Paso County Sheriff went to Juarez, Mexico, to request the return of Captain Jones' body. Mexican authorities filed a diplomatic protest but returned his body days later. The Olguins were reportedly wounded and arrested by Mexican authorities, but they were never prosecuted. Captain Jones had sent a letter to Ranger officials 6 weeks earlier requesting additional men due to a large number of bandits in the area. He was buried on his father-in-law's ranch. In 1936, he was reburied in Ysleta, El Paso County, and a state marker was erected.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife and two daughters.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-TX-C077AFF0- 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
133 years is a long time for a name to go unread. Not today.
Captain Jones gave the Texas Rangers 19 years.
Thank you for your service to the Austin community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Captain Frank Jones is one of 17,623 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 54.2% of all 32,508 officers honored here.
In TX, 1,463 of 2,421 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 60.4% of this state's fallen. That is 6.2 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.
At Texas Rangers, 104 of 122 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 85.2% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Frank Jones's cause is highlighted.
How Frank Jones Compares
Offender Outcome
Not prosecuted
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Frank Jones is highlighted in Jun.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Frank Jones was killed by gun; unknown type.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
121 officers from Texas Rangers are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
