EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — In honor of Independence Day, the Tunnel to Towers Foundation has paid off the mortgage on the El Paso home of the fallen U.S. Border Patrol agent/canine handler, Jose Barraza, the Foundation said in a news release.
“Having our mortgage paid off in honor of Independence Day means so much to my family and me. My husband was extremely proud of our country and being able to serve it. It has always been important for us to remember and teach our boys to be grateful and this blessing will be one we never forget,” Donna Ybarra, Barraza’s wife, said.
The Foundation said Barraza attended the Border Patrol Academy in August 2008 and was assigned to the Sierra Blanca Station as a canine handler after graduation.
He was a member of the Border Patrol Honor Guard, honoring the lives of fallen officers, the Foundation added.
The Foundation said that Barraza was killed in the line of duty on April 18, 2026, in a two-vehicle crash near Sierra Blanca. His canine partner, Vino, suffered minor injuries in the crash.
The 29-year-old agent left behind his wife, Ybarra, and their two sons, Jose Jr. and Joshua, the Foundation said.
“Joey loved being a Dad… Joey Jr. and Josh were his world. He loved doing everything with them, from getting a haircut to going camping, fishing, and traveling,” Ybarra said.
The Foundation’s Fallen First Responder Home Program pays off the mortgages for the families of law enforcement officers and firefighters who are killed in the line of duty or pass away from 9/11-related illnesses and leave behind young children, according to the news release.
“Agent Barraza dedicated nearly a decade to protecting our southern border. He also honored his fellow officers as a member of the Border Patrol Honor Guard. Now, Tunnel to Towers is honoring his legacy by lifting the financial burden of a mortgage and ensuring his family will always have a place to call home,” Tunnel to Towers chairman and CEO Frank Siller said.
If you would like to join the Foundation on its mission to provide mortgage-free homes for fallen first responder families, visit here.
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