Jesus Vicente “Chente” Bustamante Oral History Transcript

Chente was born in Zapata, Texas in June of 1942. His family later moved to Laredo, Texas where he was educated through junior college. He would later graduate, in 1966, from Texas A & I University at Kingsville, Texas. He shares his experience serving in the Army and his tour in Vietnam as a helicopter pilot. He was discharged from the Army in 1973 and went to work for the Veterans Administration as a representative on college campuses, stationed in Laredo, Texas. In 1978, he was hired by Region 2 as a Special Agent Pilot stationed in Fort Worth, Texas. He describes his time there as involving a lot of migratory bird cases, as well as complex Airborne Hunting Act investigations in the Midland, Odessa and Permian Basin. In 1986, Chente moved to El Paso, Texas where he was selected to serve on the Trilateral Committee between Mexico and the US, designed to discuss ways to regulate the exotic leather trade. Chente would later receive a special award, in recognition of his efforts and leadership while serving on the Trilateral Committee and in the development and success of the North American Wildlife Enforcement Group.