Recipient List
HAPCOA 2023 AWARD RECIPIENTS
AXON Communication Technology and Innovation Award
Anthony Rodriguez
Special Agent
Air Force Office of Special Investigations
Buckley Space Force Base, CO.
Lazaro Alfonso
US Postal Inspector
US Postal Inspection Service
Miami Field Office
HAPCOA Bronze Medal for Community Service
Alex Zunca
Police Officer (Retired)
Baltimore City School Police
Daniela Lella
US Postal Inspector
US Postal Inspection Service
New York Field Office
San Antonio Police Officers Association
San Antonio Police Department
Deputy Sheriff’s Association of Bexar County
Bexar County Sheriff’s Office
San Antonio TX
HAPCOA Silver Medal for Meritorious Conduct
Juan Hernandez
US Postal Inspector
US Postal Inspection Service
Miami Field Office
Erick Chavarria
Special Agent
Air Force Office of Special Investigations
Bogota, Colombia
Jose L. Chavarria
International Criminal Investigative Training Assistance
Program (ICITAP)
Panama
HAPCOA Gold Medal of Valor
Miguel Gonzalez
Deputy
Bexar County Sheriff’s Office
Clifton Martinez
Detective
San Antonio Independent School District
HAPCOA Aguila Statue Award
Richard S. Trinidad
Deputy Assistant Inspector General for Management and Policy
Department of the Interior Office of the Inspector General
HAPCOA 2022 AWARD RECIPIENTS
L3Harris Communication Technology and Innovation Award
Inspector Michael Gavlez
US Postal Inspection Service
Special Agent Christian Barbosa
Air Force Office of Special Investigations
HAPCOA Bronze Medal for Community Service
Special Agent Jose Alferez
Naval Criminal Investigative Service
HAPCOA Silver Medal for Meritorious Conduct
Special Agent Elizabeth Banda
Air Force Office of Special Investigations
Ray Leyva (posthumously)
Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department
HAPCOA Gold Medal of Valor
Deputy Claudia Apolinar
Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department
HAPCOA Aguila Statue Award
National Latino Peace Officer Association (NLPOA)
50th Anniversary
San Diego, CA
HAPCOA 2019-2020 AWARD RECIPIENTS
L3Harris Communication Technology and Innovation Award
Supervisory Special Agent Jenifer Lynch
Naval Criminal Investigative Service
Far East Field Office
Yokosuka, Japan
HAPCOA Bronze Medal for Community Service
Johnny Nunez, Founder & President
Global Alliance of Hispanic American Law Enforcement Professionals
Sgt, New York City Police Department
Jesse Guardiola
Senior Officer
Tulsa Police Department
Tulsa, Oklahoma
HAPCOA Silver Medal for Meritorious Conduct
Carlos Rodriguez
US Postal Inspector
US Postal Inspection Service
Alonzo Pena (Posthumously)
Deputy Director
Immigration and Customs Enforcement
Department of Homeland Security
HAPCOA Gold Medal of Valor
Special Agent Brandon Mejia
Air Force Office of Special Investigations
Detective Clifton Martinez
San Antonio Independent School District
San Antonio, Texas
United States Capitol Police
Washington, DC
Metropolitan Police Department
Washington, DC
HAPCOA Aguila Statue Award
Arturo Venegas
Assistant Director for Regional Affairs for the Western Hemisphere
International Criminal Investigative Training Assistance Program (ICITAP)
US Department of Justice – Criminal Division
Chief of Police (retired)
Sacramento Police Department
Past-President of HAPCOA (1995-96)
HAPCOA 2018 AWARD RECIPIENTS
HAPCOA Harris Communication Systems Technology Award
Nelson Rivera, Inspector
United States Postal Inspection
Service Seattle, WA
HAPCOA Bronze Medal for Community Service
Cathy Sanz, Executive Director
Women in Federal Law Enforcement (WIFLE)
Washington, DC
HAPCOA Silver Medal for Meritorious Conduct
Special Agent Omar Lopez, Assistant Director
Naval Criminal Investigative Service
Washington, DC
HAPCOA Gold Medal of Valor
Special Agent Victor Avila (retired)
Special Agent Jaime Zapata (posthumously)
US Immigration and Customs Enforcement
Homeland Security Investigations
Department of Homeland Security
United States Embassy
Mexico City, Mexico
HAPCOA Aguila Statue Award
Hector Hernandez, Special Agent in Charge
Vice Presidential Protection Division
United States Secret Service
Washington, DC
HAPCOA 2017 AWARD RECIPIENTS
HAPCOA Harris Communication Systems Technology Award (first year awarded)
Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) – Joint Child Crimes Joint Task Force
HAPCOA Bronze Medal for Community Service
Chief of Police Teresa Ramon, Judson Independent School District
San Antonio, TX
Eddie Lopez, President, Spanish American Law Enforcement Association
Philadelphia, PA
US Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (OIG), Miami and San Juan – Hurricaine Task Force
HAPCOA Silver Medal for Meritorious Conduct
Commissioner Ovido Fuentes Conception, Director – DIASP
Panama City, Panama
Esteban Blis, SSGT (retired) US Army & Sgt at Arms HAPCOA Panama Chapter
Panama City, Panama
Chief of Police Paul J. Chapa, Trinity University Police Department
San Antonio, TX
HAPCOA Gold Medal of Valor
Sgt Steve Perez, Houston Police Department
Houston, TX
Officer Greggory Casillas, Pasadena Police Department
Pasadena, CA
HAPCOA Aguila Statue Award
Chief Roberto Hylton
Senior Law Enforcement Advisor to Administrator of the
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
Washington, DC
HAPCOA 2016 AWARD RCEIPIENTS
HAPCOA Bronze Medal for Community Service
Agregados de Policia de America Latina America en Washington – APALA
(Association of Police Attaches from Latin America in Washington DC)
HAPCOA Silver Medal for Meritorious Conduct
Kareen Flax, Special Agent, Social Security Administration
Orlando, FL
Francisco J. Garcia, Postal Inspector, US Postal Inspection Service
San Francisco, CA.
Javier “Rick” Montero, Special Agent, Social Security Administration
Ft. Lauderdale, FL
HAPCOA Gold Medal of Valor (not issued in 2016, instead Aguila Azul was awarded)
HAPCOA Aguila Azul Award
Dallas Police Department
Dallas Area Rapid Transit Police Department
East Baton Rouge Sheriffs Office
Baton Rouge Police Department
HAPCOA Aguila Statue Award
Rodrick Allison, Assistant Administrator/Director of Federal Air Marshal Service
Washington, DC
Richard Barrantez, Assistant Sheriff, Los Angeles Sheriffs Department
Los Angeles, CA
HAPCOA 2015 Award Recipients
HAPCOA Bronze Medal for Community Service:
US Embassy Panama HAPCOA Chapter
Panama City, Panama
Richard Perez
Assistant Supervisory Air Marshal in Charge
TSA/Federal Air Marshal Service
Dallas Field Office, Dallas, Texas
HAPCOA Silver Medal for Meritorious Conduct:
David A. Montoya – Inspector General
Office of Inspector General (OIG)
US Department of Housing and Urban Development
Washington, DC
Miguel E. Montalvo
Postal Inspector
US Postal Inspection Service
San Francisco Division
Marisela “Mari” Nash
Assistant Special Agent In Charge
Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS)
Executive Assistant Director, Pacific, San Diego CA
HAPCOA Gold Medal of Valor:
Cindy Hernandez & Michele Avila
Deputy Sheriffs
Bexar County Sheriffs Office, Bexar County, TX
HAPCOA Aguila Statue Award
Bernardo Matias “Mat” Perez
Special Agent in Charge
Federal Bureau of Investigations (retired)
HAPCOA 2014 Award Recipients
HAPCOA Bronze Medal for Community Service:
The Hispanic National Law Enforcement Association (HNLEA)
Prince Georges County Police Department, MD
HAPCOA Silver Medal for Meritorious Conduct:
Special Agent Carlos M. Castro
Naval Criminal Investigative Service
Camp Lejeune, NC
Inspector Derek Martinez
United States Postal Inspection Service
New York City, NY
HAPCOA Gold Medal of Valor:
Ann Marie Carrizales
Police Officer
Stafford Police Department
Stafford, Texas
HAPCOA Aguila Statue Award
Art Acevedo
Chief of Police
Austin Police Department
Austin, Texas
HAPCOA 2013 Award Recipients
HAPCOA Bronze Medal for Community Service:
Tony Cox, Special Agent in Charge, Hawaii Field Office, Naval Criminal Investigative Service
Air Force Office of Special Investigations, 2nd Field Investigations Region
Operating Location-Bravo
Air Force Office of Special Investigations, 6th Field Investigations Squadron (FIS),
Yokota Air Force Base, Japan
HAPCOA Silver Medal for Meritorious Conduct:
George A. Rodriguez
HAPCOA National President (1993-1994)
Posthumous Award
David Ortega
Air Force Office of Special Investigations
Kandahar, Afghanistan
Maria del Carmen Perez
Supervisory Air Marshal in Charge
Miami Field Office
Miami, FL
Juan Vargas
Otto Fernandez
Delfin Alvarez
US Postal Inspection Service
Miami, FL
HAPCOA Gold Medal of Valor:
Lisa Castellano
Sergeant
Bexar County Sheriffs Office
San Antonio, TX
Jesse Balderamas
Corporal
Selma Police Department
Selma, Texas
HAPCOA Aguila Statue Award
Jose “Joe” Banales
Assistant Chief of Police
San Antonio Police Department
San Antonio, TX
2012 Aguila Award
Victor Erevia, Special Agent in Charge, Presidential Protection Division – United States Secret Service — Aguila Statue award for Law Enforcement/ Criminal JusticeSA Christian Rivera– Gold Medal of Valor
2011 Aguila Award
Mark D. Clookie, Director of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) — Aguila Statue award for Law Enforcement/ Criminal Justice
Special Agent Michael L. Connelly AFOSI— Medal of Meritorious Service
Sgt. Kenneth Vann –Medal of Valor- Posthumous
2010 Aguila Award
Ambassador Oliver P. Garza was awarded the Law Enforcement Justice Agency Aguila Award for his dedication to country, law enforcement, and his community at large, and for exhibiting professionalism and courage beyond the call of duty.
2010 HAPCOA Medals Awards
Medal for Meritorious Service: Air Force Office of special Investigations Special Agent Manuel Fajin Medal for Community Service: Air Force Office of special Investigations Special Agent Tracy Tellyer
2009 Award Recipients
The following awards were bestowed at the 36th Annual National Training Symposiumin New Orleans, Louisiana:
HAPCOA Aguila Awards
Community Service – San Antonio Chapter
Law Enforcement – Pete Garcia, San Antonio Police Department
Silver Medal for Meritorious Conduct – Albert Arias, US Marshals Service
2008 Award Recipients
The following awards were bestowed at the 35th Annual National Training Symposium in San Diego, California.
HAPCOA Aguila Awards
Law Enforcement/Criminal Justice Award – Antonio Amador
GIL POMPA Special Recognition – Francine Carrasco de Spada
HAPCOA Meritorious Service Medals
Noel Zuniga, NCIS
Jason Henderson, NCIS
Sarah L. Garcia, AFOSI
Marta Rodriguez, AFOSI
Janice Rodriguez, AFOSI
Jose Martinez, AFOSI