CHARLOTTE, N.C. – U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) hosted a Change of Command Ceremony and formally instated Miguel A. Garza, Jr. as Area Port Director for the Charlotte, North Carolina, and Charlotte-Douglas International Airport (CLT) in the Office of Field Operations, on August 30.
The Area Port of Charlotte encompasses port operations in Charlotte, Winston-Salem, Greensboro, Raleigh airports along with Wilmington and Morehead City seaports.
Charlotte is seventh busiest and Raleigh-Durham is the 34 busiest international airports in the country. In fiscal year 2023, the Area Port of Charlotte processed more than 1,853,808 international travelers, a 40% increase from the 1,322,290 processed the year before.
“APD Miguel A. Garza, Jr. is an experienced leader that demonstrates confidence, humility, and is forward leaning making him well-suited for the job,” stated Zachary Thomas, Acting Director of Field Operations Atlanta. “As the Charlotte Area Port Director, Miguel A. Garza, Jr brings over 17 years of federal law enforcement experience”
CBP senior leadership, stakeholders, colleagues, family, and friends attended the ceremony at Charlotte-Douglas International Airport in the City of Charlotte Aviation Eagle conference room. The change of command ceremony is steeped in CBP tradition and featured the transferal of the CBP guidon from the Acting Director Field Operations Atlanta to the Port Director to symbolize the conveyance and assumption of command.
“I am honored to be able to serve the citizens within the great state of North Carolina” said Miguel A. Garza, Jr. Area Port Director Charlotte.
In his new capacity, Area Port Director Garza oversees five North Carolinas Ports of Entry, international passenger, air cargo operations and agricultural compliance. He is responsible for managing all operational and administrative aspects of port security and trade facilitation.
The Office of Field Operations is pleased to announce the selection of Miguel A. Garza, Jr as the Area Port Director for the Area Port of Charlotte, North Carolina, effective June 16, 2024.
Mr. Garza most recently served as the Assistant Director Field Operations (Border Security) for the New Orleans Field Office overseeing a myriad of operational activities related to advancing national security, implementation of border security strategies, trade security operations, cross-component operations, and outside port enforcement operations with oversight of 18 ports of entry spanning five states. He was instrumental in leveraging and implementing new technologies such as Evidence Collection Training and formalizing the Laboratory and Scientific Services Forward Operating Labs in Memphis and New Orleans.
Throughout his 17 years of service, Mr. Garza has served in numerous leadership roles, including Border Security Coordinator, New Orleans Field Office, Chief CBP Officer and Supervisory CBP Officer at the Port of Brownsville, Texas. He has also served in multiple temporary duty assignments that include Branch Chief for the Law Enforcement Operations Division, Program Manager for Traveler Entry Programs and Deputy Section Chief for Operations Allies Welcome and Operation Secure Line.
Mr. Garza began his Federal career with the United States Border Patrol in May 2007 as a Border Patrol Agent in Laredo, Texas.
CBP's border security mission is led at our nation’s Ports of Entry by CBP officers and agriculture specialists from the Office of Field Operations. CBP screens international travelers and cargo and searches for illicit narcotics, unreported currency, weapons, counterfeit consumer goods, prohibited agriculture, invasive weeds and pests, and other illicit products that could potentially harm the American public, U.S. businesses, and our nation’s safety and economic vitality.
See what CBP accomplished during "A Typical Day" in 2023. Learn more at www.CBP.gov.
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