Secret Service Agency Recruiting More Hispanics

Hispanic Times Magazine, Dec, 1999

A Secret Service Agent reflected: "One day you find yourself standing in the Rose Garden at the White House, guarding the President of the United States -- and you say to yourself, 'How did I get here from East Los Angeles?"'

The career that took Deputy Assistant Director (DAD) Jaime Javier Cagigas on that route started some 25 years ago with the U.S. Secret Service. And, in fact, that career in this Federal law enforcement agency has taken him around the world - literally! "I have been to the Great Wall of China, St. Peter's Square in Rome, to Moscow, Madrid, Jerusalem, and many more places," said DAD Cagigas.

"As an agent in the U.S. Secret Service, you are required to gain a variety of experience in order to progress in the organization. You typically begin by working in a field office to learn the different aspects of the job - such as counterfeit currency investigations, cases that involve check forgery, credit card fraud, computer fraud, and protective intelligence. This way, newly appointed agents can 'cut their teeth' before they move on to a protection assignment."

He certainly speaks from experience! Over the past 20-plus years, he and his family have had to uproot and move several times when he would receive new assignments in different offices across the country.

Those numerous assignments brought a wealth of practical experience -- in such vital areas as Presidential Protective Division, Vice Presidential Protective Division, Office of Government Liaison and Public Affairs, and three assignments under the Office of Investigations.

As Special Agent in Charge (SAIC) of the Dignitary Protective Division, Cagigas realized that his actions, and those of the employees in his division, could have international repercussions. The way they provide protection for foreign heads of government can affect the resources that his counterparts on the Presidential Protective Division receive or don't receive from foreign law enforcement organizations when the President travels abroad.

As a manager, Cagigas' actions also have had internal repercussions within the agency. A supervisor of Hispanic descent, he has worked diligently over the years to ensure that the interests of the Secret Service are well represented. He states, "When I came into the Secret Service in 1974, there may have been five Hispanic agents in the entire country. That number has increased greatly because the Secret Service has become proactive in its recruitment effort to hire more Hispanics."

DAD Cagigas reports that his most rewarding experience was being in charge of providing protection for Pope John Paul II during the Pontiff's visit to the United States in 1995. "Having been raised Roman Catholic and educated in the Catholic school system, it had special significance for me."

A husband and father of three children, Jaime Cagigas believes that the strength of his family and the foundation of his heritage have sustained him.

"None of us do it alone! My mother and father both instilled in me and my brothers and sisters a sense of purpose and proper values at an early age. My wife and I try our best to pass this on to our children. It is incumbent on all of us to take advantage of the opportunities that are placed in our paths."

On July 31, 1999 after more than 25 years with the organization, Deputy Assistant Director, Cagigas accepted the position of Director, Office of Professional Responsibility at the Department of the Treasury. Cagigas sees an urgent need in the Secret Service to hire more Hispanics, and the Service being an equal opportunity employer is constantly looking for qualified applicants. He further states that anyone interested in the U.S. Secret Service should contact the Secret Service Employment line at 1-888-813-USSS (8777), or visit the U.S. Secret Service website at www.treas.gov/usss.>

COPYRIGHT 1999 Hispanic Times Enterprises

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