Val Verde County Sheriff's Office Honors Deputies for Life-Saving, Meritorious Service

Seven Val Verde County Sheriff's Office deputies and supervisors were honored this week for actions that, in several cases, kept county residents alive, a point made more striking by a single number: 45 sworn deputies share responsibility for 3,233 square miles of border-adjacent Texas, roughly one officer for every 72 square miles.

Sheriff Jose Frank Martinez presided over the April 4 ceremony at the Sheriff's Office, 295 FM 2523, Del Rio, distributing awards across four categories: Life-Saving, Meritorious Conduct, De-escalation, and Honorable Service.

Deputy José Tovar earned a Life-Saving Award for an Oct. 11, 2025, intervention, while a March 6, 2026, rescue brought the same recognition to Deputy Ricardo Pérez, Deputy Gerardo Torres, and Lieutenant Jaime Guzmán. Together, the two incidents represent the department's most direct form of recognition, reserved for officers whose on-scene actions preserved a life.

Deputy Jesús Barragán and Lieutenant Julio de Hoyos received Meritorious Conduct Awards for protecting an elderly community member who was lost and at risk on March 3, 2026. The scenario reflects one of the county's recurring call types: disoriented seniors in a landscape where distance and sparse backup amplify the stakes of delayed response. De Hoyos also earned a De-escalation Award for a March 2025 incident in which he, Deputy Gerardo Meza, and Deputy Miguel Ramírez used crisis-management techniques to defuse a confrontation without violence.

The Honorable Service Award went to Sergeant Marisi de Hoyos and Chief Deputy Gina García, credited with investigative work that helped close numerous cases. García's recognition landed just two days after Sheriff Martinez formally announced her promotion from Lieutenant to Chief Deputy for Administrative Operations, the first time the department has split its command structure into two chief deputy roles. Enrique Reynaldo Trevino was simultaneously named Chief Deputy over Enforcement, creating a dual command model new to the office.

With EMS response times inside Del Rio averaging under 10 minutes but varying considerably across the county's 3,200-plus square miles of Edwards Plateau terrain, a first responder's or bystander's immediate action can be the margin between life and death. Residents who want to build those same skills can contact Val Verde Regional Medical Center, 801 N. Bedell Ave. (830.775.8566), which offers CPR certification training. For life-threatening emergencies, call 911. For non-emergency contact with the Sheriff's Office, reach dispatchers at (830) 774-7513.