Agriculture Specialist Anna M. Burakowski was hospitalized in January 2023, where she tested positive for COVID-19. She returned to work; however, over a period of six months, Specialist Burakowski battled continuous respiratory illnesses. She was hospitalized for viral pneumonia on four different occasions, the last being in early July 2023, and her condition continued to deteriorate. On July 24, 2023, Specialist Burakowski succumbed to her COVID-19 illness and pneumonia.
Specialist Burakowski began her career with U.S. Customs and Border Protection in April 2015, at the Alexandria Port of Alexandria Bay in New York. She most recently served as an Agriculture Specialist in Buffalo. Agriculture Specialist Burakowski was survived by her husband and four children, one of whom serves as a Supervisory Customs and Border Protection Officer in Los Angeles.