On Tuesday October 20, 1998, at 7:00 p.m., Senior Patrol Agents Jesus De La Ossa and Thomas J. Williams were traveling to San Diego after successfully completing the Border Patrol Academy Instructor's Course. They were involved in a head-on collision with another vehicle and lost their lives in the accident. The accident happened about 15 miles west of Artesia, New Mexico.
Agent De La Ossa was born in Nogales, Arizona. Before entering the Border Patrol, Agent De La Ossa served as a military policeman in the U.S. Air Force. At the time of his death, his official station was Brown Field, California. He was a graduate of the 264th session of the U.S. Border Patrol Academy in Glynco, Georgia.