Benito Perez Oral History Transcript

Benito Perez was born in Alice, Texas in January 1952. He was the Valedictorian of his high school graduation class in1970, Ben Bolt Palito Blanco Independent School District with a GPA of 97%. To support his family, he joined the Army National Guard and was in the infantry. During which he also volunteered with the Texas Highway Patrol. Benito attended Texas A&I University in Kingsville, TX; University of Texas−Pan American, Rio Grande Valley and Del Mar College, Corpus Christi, TX. He took a job with the Texas Department of Public Safety as a Communications Supervisor/Dispatcher in McAllen. He also worked for the Texas Parks and Wildlife starting in 1978 and later applied for a Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) Law Enforcement position. His first duty station was Gardena, CA. His first big case dealt with the unlawful sale of sea otter pelts out of Alaska that also evolved into working with the FBI on an organized crime case dealing with stolen truck tractor trailers of seafood out of refrigeration facilities in Seattle. He also worked in Oklahoma and North Texas in a case involving the sale of “feathers” of protected migratory birds. Benito went undercover as a businessman interested in the business of native American artwork. Many of the people he met assumed he was a native American, despite never saying he was. He also explained some of the ways he planned out his career to do the work he enjoyed. Jerry Smith, Division of Law Enforcement, among many others, significantly influenced his career. He volunteered to take notes as a Rapporteur at a CITES Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora conference of the parties in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. This task introduced him to numerous international contacts and enhanced his networking in international matters. He did temporary details in Miami and Washington D.C., including training missions to Mexico to train federal officials in CITES international trade mechanisms and law enforcement tactics and techniques. Eventually Benito is promoted to Washington as a Senior Special Agent, and while in Washington promoted to the position of Special Agent-in-charge (SAC) of Investigations. He then is promoted to the Deputy Assistant Director of Law Enforcement. During his initial tour in Washington, Director Jaime Clark elevates the Branch of Law Enforcement under the Refuge program and creates the Office of Law Enforcement and elevates the Chief of Law Enforcement to a Senior Executive Service position and to the Directorate level of the FWS. After his stint in Washington, Benito is transferred to Portland, Oregon as the SAC. 

After getting to Portland, the conflict surrounding the endangered sucker fish in Upper Klamath Lake and the FWS, the Klamath Tribes, irrigators, and other stakeholders, all vying for limited water resources in the drought-stricken Klamath Basin and saving the sucker fish. After a 10-week standoff, 9/11 happens and the priority for everyone is securing planes. Some service agents become temporary air marshals and contribute to the security and safety of the airlines. Later Benito is transferred back to Washington as the Deputy Chief and eventually is promoted to the position of Chief of the Office of Law Enforcement.  Before he retires, Dale Hall, FWS Director asks him to extend his retirement for another 3 years.  The Secretary of Interior approves the extension. Benito retired in January 2011 after 22 years in the FWS. 

Benito received the Guy Bradley Award from the National Fish & Wildlife Foundation in 2011.  This very prestigious award is presented annually, recognizes individuals for achievements in wildlife law enforcement.