Norma Cortez-Lopez This is Me

Education

 Web References

1. 1. Valley Morning Star Online Edition

   www.valleystar.com/sliceoflife - [Cached]

   Published on: 7/29/2004   Last Visited: 7/29/2004

   Norma Cortez-Lopez, assistant chief patrol agent for the McAllen sector, poses in the United States Border Patrol Office in McAllen.
   ...
   After graduating from San Benito High School, Cortez-Lopez earned a bachelor's degree in criminal justice from Texas Southmost College and started duty at her first full-time job as a Border Patrol agent Sept. 19, 1982.
   
   "It was very challenging," said Cortez-Lopez of her training. "I was mentally prepared, but I was just out of college, single and had never been away from home."
   
   Nonetheless, she weathered through her training and worked for years as a Border Patrol agent in Del Rio before working her way up the ranks.
   
   Cortez-Lopez worked in Del Rio for 13 years before she returned to the Valley in 1994.
   
   While working as a senior patrol agent here, she met her future husband, Xavier Lopez, who worked as an U.S. Customs agent. He later became a Border Patrol agent.
   
   Xavier's father, Frank, is a U.S. Border Patrol senior supervisor with the Border Patrol's Fort Brown station in Brownsville.
   
   In March, Cortez-Lopez was promoted to one of six assistant chief patrol agent positions in the Border Patrol's McAllen sector, which extends from Falcon Lake to Boca Chica and from Corpus to Brownsville.
   
   "I hope to open up the path for other women in the Border Patrol," she said.
   
   Cortez-Lopez oversees the McAllen and Rio Grande City Border Patrol stations and oversees the vehicle fleet operations and information technology services or the entire sector.
   
   "Law enforcement is not for everyone," said Cortez-Lopez. "You have to be dedicated and you got to have that motivation."
   
   Cortez-Lopez said it can be difficult, but not impossible, for women to enter the field of law enforcement.
   
   "You have to be prepared to go into a man's world," she said. "There a lot of obstacles to overcome."
   
   Cortez-Lopez said that when she, her siblings and extended family meets, they like to "talk shop" for a while, but then like to move the conversation to other topics.
   
   On weekends, Xavier and Norma enjoy spending time with their three children and riding their Harley-Davidson motorcycles.