For the first time in its 93-year history, the U.S. Border Patrol has a woman at the helm.
Carla Provost, the agency’s deputy chief since October, has been tapped as its new acting chief, The Associated Press reported.
The move comes as the Trump administration moves forward with building border wall prototypes in San Diego, even though funding for the multibillion-dollar project is unlikely to be in this year’s budget.
The Provost appointment was made Tuesday after Ronald Vitiello became acting deputy commissioner of Customs and Border Protection, which oversees the Border Patrol. Vitiello picked Provost for the Border Patrol top spot, saying she is a “shining example” of leadership, the AP report continued.
“Vitiello was named to lead the Border Patrol after Mark Morgan was forced out less than a week after Trump took office. Morgan, a longtime FBI agent, left only seven months after being named the first outsider to lead the agency and clashing with the agents’ union, an outspoken supporter of Trump’s presidential bid,” according to the AP.
Provost joined the Border Patrol in 1995; Vitiello signed on as a Border Patrol agent in 1985, the AP reported. There is no word on how long the two will serve in their new acting positions.
–Staff