ROBERT ALMONTE IS GREETED AS REGION'S US MARSHAL

EL PASO -- Robert Almonte stood humbly but proudly as he was welcomed
Thursday as the new U.S. marshal of the Western District of Texas.

Although Almonte had already been sworn in to lead the U.S. Marshals
Service for the Western District, about 400 people gathered at the
Chamizal National Memorial Theater to honor his new position and to
reflect on his accomplishments.

At the Chamizal ceremony, judges, lawyers, law enforcement leaders and
family members paid tribute to Almonte, a former El Paso deputy police
chief who was nicknamed "Tasmanian Devil" because of his work ethic.

President Barack Obama nominated Almonte, 53, to be U.S. marshal and
to oversee 91,531 square miles and 68 Texas counties.

He was officially sworn in on June 2 in Washington,
D.C.

"I know his love of the city and this community. I know he was the
right choice," El Paso County Sheriff Richard Wiles told the audience.

As marshal, Almonte will oversee 194 deputy marshals and 225 civilian
employees and will control an annual budget of $110 million, not
including salaries.

His main jobs are to apprehend federal fugitives, protect federal
judges, transport federal prisoners to and from court and seize
property acquired illegally by criminals.

"He's to be responsible for all the things you and I take for granted
or either don't take into account," said U.S. Rep. Silvestre Reyes,
D-Texas.

The ceremony at the Chamizal was for the local community to celebrate
his appointment.

"I don't have the words to describe it. This is something I never
thought would happen or imagined happening," said Almonte.

He said one the most important parts of Thursday's ceremony was the
attendance of his 81-year-old father, Luis Almonte, and he
acknowledged his mother, Jennie Almonte, who died in 1999.

Luis Almonte has cancer and has been on chemotherapy for about a
month, and he couldn't make it to the swearing-in ceremony in Washington.

Robert Almonte said it was difficult for him to accept that his mother
could not witness his achievement.

"Whether she's here or she's not here, I think she would be proud," he
said.

Almonte grew up in South- Central El Paso and attended Jefferson High
School. His family lived in a house about four blocks from the
U.S.-Mexico border.

He graduated from Park University at Fort Bliss with a bachelor's
degree in criminal justice administration.

Chuy Reyes, the general manager of El Paso County Water Improvement
District and the brother of Congressman Reyes, said Almonte had to
compete from patrol officer to become deputy police chief.

Chuy Reyes said he brought up Almonte's name with his brother to
consider as a candidate for U.S. marshal.

"The congressman was talking to me about 'What do you think about so
and so,' and running names through me, and I said, 'You know, what
about Robert Almonte,' " Chuy Reyes said.

He said he met Almonte several years ago when he was working for the
Sheriff's Office and Almonte was a police officer.

Reyes said he has always been impressed by Almonte's work ethic,
honesty and integrity and thought he would be the perfect candidate.

Almonte had a reputation among his peers of being a dedicated and
hardworking officer, said Police Chief Greg Allen.

He was called the "Tasmanian Devil" when he worked for the Police
Department because "he worked so hard that you had a difficult time
keeping up with him," Allen said.

Almonte gained specialized knowledge of weapons, narcotics and stash
houses when he worked for the Police Department.

He unsuccessfully ran for sheriff in 2007.

During his law enforcement career, three of his in-laws were convicted
of drug-dealing charges in U.S. federal court in 2003.

Almonte was not accused of any wrongdoing.

Almonte said during the ceremony on Thursday that he intends to send a
"strong message" to the drug cartels that the U.S. Marshals Office,
along with other law enforcement agencies, has plans to make it
extremely difficult for them to work in El Paso.

The violence in Juarez does affect El Paso because the city's federal
judges often preside over cases related to it, Almonte said.