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HONORING ANICETO ``CHETO'' PEREZ, JR.
______
HON. FILEMON VELA
of texas
in the house of representatives
Tuesday, January 25, 2022
Mr. VELA. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Aniceto ``Cheto'' Perez, Jr., of Alice, Texas. Aniceto has dedicated his life to public service and law enforcement for over three decades and has made a lasting impact on the people of South Texas.
Aniceto was born to Aniceto Perez, Sr. and Martha Valerio Perez of San Diego, Texas in 1959. After graduating from San Diego High School in 1978, Aniceto knew he wanted to establish a career in law enforcement. He began his career with the Duval County Sheriffs Department in 1978, serving as a telecommunicator and jailer before transferring to the City of Alice Police Department.
Aniceto started at the Alice Police Department as a uniformed patrol officer and was promoted three years later to the Narcotics Unit. As a narcotics investigator, Aniceto performed undercover operations and served as a member of the Narcotics Task Force, working closely with local, state, and federal agencies. Aniceto was then promoted once again, this time to Sergeant Investigator of the Narcotics Unit, making him the lead investigator on many cases. During his tenure in the Narcotics Unit, Aniceto assisted in the seizure of several tons of illegal narcotics, millions of dollars in narcotics-related currency, and countless weapons utilized by drug trafficking organizations. Aniceto also held roles as an Internal Affairs Investigator; Interim Lieutenant for the Patrol and Traffic Division; Training Coordinator; Commander of the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) Team; Police Bicycle Patrol Instructor; Firearms Instructor; Honor Guard Member; Licensed Forensic Hypnosis Administrator; and Chief of Police. Aniceto retired from law enforcement after 39 years of service with the Alice Police Department, the longest tenure to date.
Although it would be impossible to list all the impactful cases he worked on and all he achieved during his time at the Alice Police Department, these cases stand out over the course of Aniceto 's storied career:
In 1994, Aniceto was a member of the team assigned to investigate the capital murder case of Trini Gonzalez, who was only 9 years old at the time of her death. This investigation led to the arrest and conviction of two people.
In 2008, Aniceto was a member of the investigating team that responded to an armed bank robbery of a Wells Fargo Bank that involved the shooting of an Alice police officer. This investigation led to an arrest, conviction, and recovery of stolen currency.
In 2018, Aniceto was made lead investigator on the murder case of Matthew Murphy, a police officer shot in the line of duty. This case had remained unsolved since 1974, but through much diligence and investigation Aniceto and his team obtained a confession, arrest, and conviction for the case, which spanned from Texas to Alabama.
Aniceto also participated in a lengthy multi-agency surveillance operation of a suspected member of the Asian Triad who was living in Alice and owned a business there. Upon his arrest, the suspect was found to be in possession of floor plans of a federal building in Corpus Christi. This operation is believed to have stopped a possible terrorist attack on the building.
Aniceto has accumulated an impressive number of awards and commendations over the course of his career, including the City of Alice Chamber of Commerce Police Officer of the Year Award in 1995 and 2018, the City of Alice Police Department Achievement Award, and the Jim Wells County Leadership Award. He is also very engaged in the community, and has served as a board member, volunteer coach and official for the Boys and Girls Club, regional coordinator for Toys for Tots, and judge for various local athletic organizations including the Alice Swim Team and the Coastal Bend Allstars Swim Team.
Aniceto expresses no desire to slow down anytime soon. He is currently a Professor and Criminal Justice Faculty Lead at Coastal Bend College, where he shares his knowledge and expertise with students. Aniceto has expressed gratitude and love for his career; however, he states his greatest accomplishments are being a husband to his wife Jo Ann for 37 years, being a father to his daughter Sabrina and son Aeren, and being a grandfather to his two grandchildren, Aaden and Alaina.
Madam Speaker, it is an honor to recognize Aniceto Cheto Perez, Jr., a truly passionate public servant who represents the best of our community. I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating him on his outstanding career and thanking him for his devotion to the people of the Rio Grande Valley.
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SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 168, No. 16
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