SAN DIEGO – Donald Trump’s administration has selected Ronald Vitiello as the chief of U.S. Border Patrol, Associated Press reported Tuesday.
I am pleased to announce the appointment of Ron Vitiello as U.S. Border Patrol Chief—KM #HonorFirst pic.twitter.com/OY5lZxw9rd
— CBP (@CBP) January 31, 2017
U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced Tuesday on Twitter that Vitiello was appointed the leader of the agency.
Vitiello joined the Border Patrol more than 30 years ago and served as deputy chief in the President Barack Obama administration. He was most recently CBP’s executive assistant commissioner for operations support.
The selection was made one week after Vitiello’s predecessor Mark Morgan resigned and following Trump’s pledge to build a wall on the U.S. border with Mexico, Associated Press reported. Trump also vowed to add 5,000 agents to the current 20,000-unit force.
Morgan resigned Thursday at the request of the new administration. He had only held the post for seven months after being named the first outsider to run the agency since it was created in 1924.
The appointment is not subject to Senate confirmation, according to AP.
