Pete Flores is the Acting Deputy Commissioner for U.S. Customs and Border Protection. As the agency’s senior career official, he is responsible for nearly 60,000 employees, a budget of more than $18.5 billion and oversees the daily operations of CBP’s expansive mission, including matters relating to trade, travel, and national security.
Acting Deputy Commissioner Flores most recently served as the Executive Assistant Commissioner, Office of Field Operations within U.S. Customs and Border Protection. As part of his responsibilities, Mr. Flores led over 31,000 uniformed and non-uniformed personnel within the offices of Admissibility and Passenger Programs, Agriculture and Trade Liaison, Cargo and Conveyance Security, Mission Support, National Targeting Centers, Operations Directorate, Preclearance Operations, and Planning Program Analysis and Evaluation. He managed an annual budget of $6.5B for operations at CBP’s ports of entry and numerous programs to support national security and the facilitation of lawful trade and travel.
Prior to his role as Executive Assistant Commissioner, Mr. Flores served as the Director of Field Operations for the San Diego Field Office where he oversaw 2,488 employees assigned to five land border ports of entry at Andrade, Calexico, Tecate, Otay Mesa, and San Ysidro. The San Diego Field Office also encompasses San Diego’s Lindbergh Field including the San Diego seaport, the Cross Border Xpress and Brown Field.
From August 31, 2020 to May 2021, Mr. Flores served as the Acting Executive Assistant Commissioner, Operations Support where he provided leadership and direction across the broad spectrum of capabilities in support of CBP operations and mission execution across eight subcomponents: Office of Intelligence, Information and Incident Coordination Center, Laboratories and Scientific Services, Law Enforcement Safety and Compliance, Office of International Affairs, Planning, Analysis, and Requirements Evaluation, Mission Support Division and Office of the Chief Medical Officer.
Additionally, Mr. Flores served as the Assistant Director of Trade, overseeing all trade, cargo operations, fines, penalties and forfeitures efforts for CBP Field Operations in Southern California. His area of responsibility included the ports of Otay Mesa, San Ysidro, Port of San Diego, Tecate, Calexico, and Andrade.
Mr. Flores joined the U.S. Customs Service in 1988 where he worked in Calexico as an Inspector until 1996.
A native of California, Mr. Flores was a member of the senior executive fellow at the Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the San Diego State University, with a major in Criminal Justice Administration.