Union-backed Ronald Vitiello named to lead Border Patrol
SAN DIEGO (AP) - A longtime Border Patrol official who is backed by the agents' union has been named chief of the agency, less than a week after his predecessor resigned under pressure.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced Tuesday on Twitter than Ronald Vitiello has been appointed to lead the agency at a time when President Donald Trump has pledged to erect a wall on the U.S. border with Mexico and add 5,000 agents from the current level of about 20,000.
The National Border Patrol Council - an early and outspoken backer of Donald Trump's presidential bid - openly supported Vitiello for the job and pushed for the ouster of his predecessor, Mark Morgan, who resigned last week at the request of the new administration.