Brownsville Border Patrol employee gets funeral with full honors

BROWNSVILLE, Texas (ValleyCentral) — Brownsville resident and 21-year-old Border Patrol Processing Coordinator Jose Rodriguez-Lua was laid to rest Friday.

He was killed on November 1, 2024, in a wrong-way crash while on the job and driving a Border Patrol unit. During today’s events, he has bestowed all the honors that border agents get for their service.

It was a very emotional day for the family of Rodriguez-Lua and also the Border Patrol Agency as a whole. The family said that he was very proud of being part of the more than 100-year-old agency.

The agency played farewell music as the casket arrived at the cemetery surrounded by family and dozens of agents. Rodriguez-Lua was also provided the gun salute.

A helicopter fly-over to honor his legacy was also part of the ceremony.

“It's a sad day for all the agency," said Andres Garcia, who is a spokesperson for the Border Patrol in the area. "You know wherever he's at. You know he's always you know, with us in spirit and in heart, and as you guys saw, you know, just pretty much us paying the respect he deserves”

A religious service was offered in Spanish as well to bid farewell to their loved one. Those who knew him say Rodriguez-Lua was a vibrant soul.

“It's always sad to see, you know, one of the good ones go because, you know, he's a, he was a worker, you know, he was always, you know, making jokes, making people happy, you know, at CPC," Rodriguez-Lua said. "And, of course, of course, you know, he'll never be forgotten.”

A horse with a pair of boots was at the service to acknowledge the federal employee's absence as well as a peer support dog to comfort those in need.

Border Patrol Public Affairs Officer Christina Smallwood says the agency offers resiliency programs for both border agents and immediate family members after a loss.

“Reach out if you're seeing some dark times, you know, especially during tragedies like that, it's normal, and the resources are out there," Smallwood said. "We always urge agents to seek the support, the support is out there to lean on one another, and they need to know that they aren't alone.”

A GoFundMe page to benefit Rodriguez-Lua's family managed to raise over $25,000. Over a hundred people made it out to pay their respects to the fallen federal employee.