End of Watch October 6, 2019
Age 44
Tour of Duty 10 yrs
Gender Male

Incident

Border Patrol Agent Robert Hotten suffered a fatal heart attack while attempting to locate a group of seven suspected illegal aliens in the area of Mount Washington, south of Patagonia, Arizona.

He and two other agents had gone to the area after a ground sensor was activated at 1:00 p.m. indicating that seven subjects were in the area. During the ensuing search, one of the subjects was taken into custody.

The agents began a search for Agent Hotten when he failed to respond to radio transmissions. He was found unresponsive with a head injury, possibly from falling on rocks, at approximately 4:15 p.m. Due to the remote and rugged nature of their location, they were unable to immediately move him for transport. The agents performed CPR and provided medical aid for more than two hours until he could be carried down the steep mountainside. He was flown to a hospital in Nogales where he was pronounced dead.

Agent Hotten had served with the United States Border Patrol for 10 years and was assigned to the Tucson Sector.

Survivors

He is survived by his wife, son, mother, brother, and sister.

In Our Keeping

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Stewardship
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Added to badge.nw
August 2, 2026
Last updated
August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Border Patrol Agent Hotten gave the United States Department of Homeland Security 10 years.
Thank you for your service. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Border Patrol Agent Hotten.

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

Agency

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

Service Record

End of Watch October 6, 2019
Tour of Duty 10 yrs
Age 44
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Cardiac

The Sacrifice · Cardiac

Robert is one of 1,307 officers lost to cardiac events in the United States, 4.7% of the 27,551 remembered there.

34,102 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

  1. See the roll
  2. See the roll
Compare against
I

Time

In 2019, 19 officers in the United States were lost to cardiac events, the 12th heaviest of 139 years on record. The heaviest was 2014, with 24.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

Robert was 44. Of the 1,249 lost to cardiac events in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 43 and 55; the middle age was 48. Robert had served 10 years; the middle length of service was 15 years.

Age at death
Where he stood among them
Age by years of service
III

When

October holds 9.3% of these deaths in the United States; January holds the most, 9.6%. Sundays: 13.9%.

By month
By day of the week
IV

How

Cardiac deaths account for 4.7% of all 27,551 deaths in the United States, the 4th most common cause.

Every cause
Weapons recorded
V

His people

United States Department of Homeland Security - Customs and Border Protection - United States Border Patrol has 63 officers remembered here, Robert among them.

Across the years
VI

Where

Border Patrol Agent Robert Mark Hotten

United States Department of Homeland Security - Customs and Border Protection - United States Border Patrol · End of Watch October 6, 2019

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 23-W

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