Husband of El Paso Border Patrol chief accused of sexual assault

The husband of El Paso’s Border Patrol chief, a former high-ranking agent in Yuma, sits behind bars accused of sexually assaulting a fellow agent.

The El Paso Times reports , Agent Gustavo Zamora was indicted in July in Tucson on three counts of felony sexual assault and one felony count of kidnapping .

A Yuma-based female agent, identified only as ” R.W. ” in court documents, claims Zamora got her drunk and attacked her during a work trip to Tucson in May. At the time, The New York Times reports, Zamora was an assistant chief here in Yuma.

R.W. reported the rape two days later. Six weeks later, a Pima County grand jury indicted him. The case is now in pre-trial hearings in Tucson.

According to the New York Times’ report, the Border Patrol allowed Zamora to retire after his arrest and indictment, with full benefits. That decision is now under review.

In the interim, the agency promoted his wife, Agent Gloria Chavez, to Interim El Paso Border Patrol Chief. Chavez herself has local ties. She was posted to El Centro sector prior to her promotion. The couple shared a home in El Centro during their time in the area.

Chavez told the El Paso Times she couldn’t comment on the specifics of the case against her husband, but she did say, ” … I have received an incredible amount of positive feedback from female and male agents alike who have voiced their support for me and understanding that I am the victim of infidelity. ”

An attorney for Zamora told the New York Times his client has pleaded not guilty, and looks forward to proving his innocence at trial. He claims the sex was consensual.

Customs and Border Protection has not commented on the case except to defend its handling of the situation. In a statement it writes it ” holds its employees accountable and expects the entire work force to adhere to the agency’s standard of conduct. ”

KYMA 2019