Jason D. Owens is the 26th Chief of the U.S. Border Patrol. Chief Owens was appointed on July 2, 2023, after more than 27 years of service, holding key leadership positions at every level, including both the northern and southern borders, as well as the U.S. Border Patrol Academy. He oversees domestic border security operations nationwide, between the ports of entry, including more than 5,000 miles of border with Canada and nearly 2,000 miles of border with Mexico. Chief Owens humbly leads more than 20,000 agents and professional staff as they work to secure the United States.
Prior to his appointment as Chief of the U.S. Border Patrol, Chief Owens led the Del Rio Sector as its Chief Patrol Agent (CPA) from November 2021 to July 2023. As a member of the Senior Executive Service, he led one of the largest and busiest sectors along the U.S./Mexico border. Overseeing national security operations along 242 miles of border, across 47 counties in Texas, he commanded a workforce of more than 2,000 agents and professional staff. Chief Owens previously served as CPA of the U.S. Border Patrol Academy, one of the largest law enforcement academies in the United States, providing the strategic vision, leadership, and technical direction for both basic resident and advanced non-resident courses.
Before this, he served as the Houlton Sector CPA and was responsible for border security operations across Maine. Chief Owens also served as the Laredo Sector Deputy Chief Patrol Agent, where he directed operations along the 171- mile stretch of U.S./Mexico border and commanded over 1,900 agents and professional staff. Chief Owens entered on duty in 1996 with the 325th session of the U.S. Border Patrol Academy.
He was assigned to the El Centro Sector’s Calexico Station, where he promoted to Senior Patrol Agent and Supervisory Border Patrol Agent. In 2001, Chief Owens successfully completed both the Border Patrol Tactical Unit (BORTAC) Selection Course XV and the Border Patrol Search, Trauma and Rescue Team Selection Course III. He later promoted to Field Operations Supervisor at BORTAC Headquarters in El Paso, Texas, leading several counternarcotics and counterterrorism operations along with deployments to Honduras, Colombia, Dominican Republic, and Iraq. In 2007, Chief Owens was promoted to Assistant Chief at U.S. Border Patrol Headquarters in Washington, DC with the Special Operations Division. His assignments included the Special Operations Group liaison and Special Projects. In 2009, he transferred to the Grand Forks Sector as the Patrol Agent in Charge (PAIC) of the Pembina Station and later promoted to Assistant Chief Patrol Agent, managing all stations within Minnesota.
In 2012, Chief Owens transferred to the Rio Grande Valley Sector and served as the Special Operations Detachment PAIC. He later promoted to Rio Grande City Station PAIC, commanding one of the largest and busiest stations in the nation. In 2015, he was selected as the Laredo Sector Division Chief of Operations.
From June 2016 to September 2016, he was assigned to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, and Office of Intelligence as the Deputy Assistant Director for Enterprise Services in Washington, DC. In this senior executive assignment, he spearheaded deploying Agency classified network technology and infrastructure and developing the career path program for the Intelligence Research Specialist position. From June 2017 to September 2018, Chief Owens served as Laredo Sector Acting CPA. Chief Owens is a proud member of the Cherokee Nation.
He and his wife, Casandra, have two sons, Blake and Zachary, who are both actively serving in the armed forces (Navy and Air Force). He is a former nationally registered paramedic and holds both a Master’s degree in Accountancy from Shorter University and a Master’s degree in National Security Strategy from the National War College.
He is a graduate of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Leadership Institute (University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business and University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business), American University’s Key Executive Leadership Program, and the Department of Homeland Security Senior Executive Service Candidate Development Program.
