Rep. Gabe Vasquez Honors Fallen Officer from Doña Ana County, Dep. Sheriff Antonio Aleman, During Police Week

WASHINGTON, D.C. - This National Police Week, on May 13, 2026, U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez (NM-02) delivered a speech on the House floor honoring Doña Ana County Deputy Sheriff Antonio Aleman, who was killed in the line of duty while serving his community in 2025.

Watch the Floor Speech Here

"Deputy Sheriff Antonio Aleman … was with the Doña Ana County Sheriff's Office since 2021, is remembered by his colleagues as a valued member of the department who will be deeply missed, and is survived by his wife and two children," said Vasquez on the House floor, "His service and sacrifice deserves to be honored by this body, along with the courage of all of those who wear the badge honorably."

"That's what National Police Week should be about - honoring our law enforcement officers who have made sacrifices to keep their neighbors and our families safe, listening to the concerns of those currently serving, and taking concrete steps to give them additional funding and support to ensure they come home safe to their families every night," Vasquez added.

As part of National Police Week, the House passed a bipartisan resolution to honor law enforcement officers who have made the ultimate sacrifice and lost their lives in the line of duty. Deputy Sheriff Antonio Aleman is among the officers honored in the resolution. Rep. Vasquez was an original cosponsor of the resolution, which passed by a vote of 418-2 with strong bipartisan support.

This week, Vasquez also voted in support of the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act, a bill that grants state and local law enforcement agencies funds to stop organized crime rings from robbing retail stores, benefitting cartels through complex retail theft schemes, and carrying out other illegal activity that increases costs for consumers and endangers public safety. This bill also passed in the House by a vote of 348-60 with strong bipartisan support.

Rep. Vasquez has a long record of supporting legislation to improve law enforcement officers' physical safety, mental wellbeing, and longevity on the job:

• Led the Invest to Protect Act, bipartisan legislation to strengthen officer safety and retention, providing funding to improve mental health and de-escalation training and help small departments recruit and retain officers who are understandably burning out under the immense pressure their jobs entail. This bill is aimed at providing additional funding to small law enforcement agencies with under 175 officers.
• Co-sponsored the Bipartisan Bulletproof Vest Partnership Program Expansion Act to expand funding for bulletproof vests through the Patrick Leahy Bulletproof Vest Partnership (BVP) Program
• Combatted police officer shortages by co-sponsoring the Retired Law Enforcement Officers Continuing Service Act, which brings experienced officers out of retirement and back to local police departments to serve in civilian and support roles.
• Helped protect law enforcement officers from accidental frontline exposure to dangerous substances like fentanyl by co-sponsoring the Protecting First Responders from Secondary Exposure Act, a bill that leverages existing Justice Department funds for additional training and containment tools.

Rep. Vasquez has also brought home millions of dollars in funding to boost public safety and continues to push for increased funding for local law enforcement officers in New Mexico's 2nd Congressional District, having recently:

• Brought home $1.06 million to modernize Albuquerque's Real Time Crime Center and $500,000 for technology and training upgrades at the Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office so officers can access real-time information from cameras and drones in emergencies and apprehend violent criminals not only more quickly, but also more safely.
• Brought home $250,000 in federal funding to make key infrastructure and public safety technology upgrades to the Carlsbad Police Department (CPD) Main Station, helping officers meet growing public safety demands as the community's population booms.
• Co-led a bipartisan effort to increase funding for the Regional Information Sharing System (RISS). RISS supports 5,400 officers at 94 state, local, and Tribal law enforcement agencies across New Mexico, and this program is a critical tool that helps our local law enforcement agencies share information, keep officers safe, and solve crimes.
• Condemned proposed cuts to the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program that local sheriffs and DEA task forces rely on to stop drugs like fentanyl from flowing into our country.

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