By Karen Gleason
The 830 Times
Del Rio Border Patrol Sector Chief Austin L. Skero II has announced he will retire next month, a spokesman for the agency confirmed.
Skero made the announcement Saturday morning in a post on his personal Facebook page, which was forwarded to the 830 Times by a reader.
“Next month, Chandra and I will finally be coming home to the Hill Country. We have decided it is time for me to retire from federal service and my last day as an active Border Patrol Agent will be July 31, 2021,” the post reads.
Dennis Smith, a spokesman for the Del Rio Sector, confirmed Skero’s retirement announcement.
“It has been the privilege of a lifetime to serve alongside the men and women of the U.S. Border Patrol but all careers eventually come to an end. We have had a fantastic run and have truly enjoyed the people and places we’ve experienced over the past 26 years,” Skero’s post reads.
He added his next chapter “will involve me trying to pay Chandra and the kids back for all they have sacrificed so I could be part of this agency I love.”
Skero’s post finishes by contemplating future plans: “Chandra says I can’t just hang around the house, though, so I’ll eventually find some way to serve Texas. We did finally get that travel trailer we’ve been talking about for 15 years, though, so look for us at a lake, river or campground near you. We plan on using it as much as possible and there will always be a seat at the table for friends and family.”
The post ends with the Border Patrol’s agency motto: “Honor First!”
Skero has served as the chief of the 47-county Del Rio Sector of the U.S. Border Patrol since July 5, 2020.
He joined the Border Patrol in 1995 after beginning his law enforcement career as a deputy sheriff for Edwards County, according to Skero’s biography on the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) web site.
Skero served in a number of leadership positions for the agency, including deputy chief of operations at Border Patrol Headquarters in Washington, D.C.; chief patrol agent for the Grand Forks, N.D., Sector and deputy chief patrol agent for the Rio Grande Valley Sector.
The CBP web site notes Skero “is the recipient of many awards and commendations, including the Border Patrol’s highest award for valor, the Newton-Azrak Award.”
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