SAN DIEGO (Border Report) — The U.S. State Department is honoring the memory of Edgar S. Flores Santos, an employee of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service assigned to the U.S. Consulate in Tijuana.
Flores conducted pest control and disease eradication programs in northern Mexico.
He was killed three years ago while inspecting traps for invasive pests in Valle Redondo, Baja California along the U.S.-Mexico border east of Tijuana.
Baja California’s Attorney General said Flores was murdered by members of a cartel after he was mistaken for a rival.
His killer was arrested, convicted and sentenced to 30 years in prison.
During a Thursday morning ceremony at the Department of State headquarters in Washington, D.C., a memorial plaque with his name was unveiled at the building’s entrance.
Consul General Tom Reott commemorated Flores’ contributions to the community.
“Performing his job diligently in the field, protecting agriculture produced in Mexico and the United States that feeds the world, Edgar gave his life in service to our community and to the interests of our nations,” said Reott.
