Huffman brings more than three decades of service to our nation. Prior to joining FLETC, he was the Acting Deputy Commissioner for U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). In this role, Huffman ensured the frontline was equipped with the personnel, tools, and information they needed, improving the agency’s collective capacity to adapt and respond to an ever-changing environment.

Before becoming Acting Deputy Commissioner for CBP, Huffman served as the Acting Chief Operating Officer for CBP. In this position, Huffman served as the Executive Assistant Commissioner of Enterprise Services. He led 4,500 employees who provided critical support to include financial management, facilities and assets, information and technology, human resources, training and development, and accountability to CBP’s more than 60,000 employee workforce and their operations.

Huffman has spent more than three decades serving in many roles across the U.S. Border Patrol. In 2014, he joined the Senior Executive Service and was named Deputy Chief of the El Paso Sector, which encompassed more than 125,000 square miles in New Mexico and Texas. Before leading Enterprise Services, Huffman was the Chief of the Strategic Planning and Analysis Directorate at U.S. Border Patrol Headquarters, where he led the U.S. Border Patrol’s strategic planning efforts to implement several Presidential priorities.

“Law Enforcement is a noble and honorable profession. Every day at FLETC, we join our law enforcement partners in the vital task of equipping the next generation of law enforcement to thrive in the field,” said Director Huffman. “I am humbled and honored to lead the men and women of such an extraordinary organization. Together we will continue to ensure frontline personnel are armed with the tools, resources, and skills they need to be prepared in the ever-changing operational environment.”

Throughout his career, Huffman served in numerous temporary duty assignments, including Acting Director of the Special Operations Group, where he led CBP's global response team that consists of the Border Patrol Tactical Unit (BORTAC) and Border Patrol Search, Trauma and Rescue Unit (BORSTAR). He became a member of BORTAC in 1987 and served in various missions around the world, including Operation Green Blanket, operations in South Africa, and Operation Snowcap in Bolivia.

Huffman is a native of West Texas and entered on duty with the U.S. Border Patrol on February 3, 1985. He graduated from FLETC as a member of Border Patrol Academy Class 173. 

Huffman holds a master’s degree in Homeland Security from Sul Ross State University in Alpine, Texas, a bachelor’s degree in general studies, and an associate degree in criminal justice from South Plains Junior College in Levelland, Texas. He has also completed the Capstone General and Flag Officer course at the National Defense University and the Senior Managers in Government program at the Harvard Kennedy School.

Jason D. Owens is the 26th Chief of the U.S. Border Patrol. Chief Owens was appointed on July 2, 2023, after more than 27 years of service, holding key leadership positions at every level, including both the northern and southern borders, as well as the U.S. Border Patrol Academy.
He oversees domestic border security operations nationwide, between the ports of entry, including more than 5,000 miles of border with Canada and nearly 2,000 miles of border with Mexico. Chief Owens humbly leads more than 20,000 agents and professional staff as they work to secure the United States.
Prior to his appointment as Chief of the U.S. Border Patrol, Chief Owens led the Del Rio Sector as its Chief Patrol Agent (CPA) from November 2021 to July 2023. As a member of the Senior Executive Service, he led one of the largest and busiest sectors along the U.S./Mexico border. Overseeing national security operations along 242 miles of border, across 47 counties in Texas, he commanded a workforce of more than 2,000 agents and professional staff.
Chief Owens previously served as CPA of the U.S. Border Patrol Academy, one of the largest law enforcement academies in the United States, providing the strategic vision, leadership, and technical direction for both basic resident and advanced non-resident courses. Before this, he served as the Houlton Sector CPA and was responsible for border security operations across Maine.
Chief Owens also served as the Laredo Sector Deputy Chief Patrol Agent, where he directed operations along the 171-mile stretch of U.S./Mexico border and commanded over 1,900 agents and professional staff.
Chief Owens entered on duty in 1996 with the 325th session of the U.S. Border Patrol Academy. He was assigned to the El Centro Sector’s Calexico Station, where he promoted to Senior Patrol Agent and Supervisory Border Patrol Agent. In 2001, Chief Owens successfully completed both the Border Patrol Tactical Unit (BORTAC) Selection Course XV and the Border Patrol Search, Trauma and Rescue Team Selection Course III. He later promoted to Field Operations Supervisor at BORTAC Headquarters in El Paso, Texas, leading several counternarcotics and counterterrorism operations along with deployments to Honduras, Colombia, Dominican Republic, and Iraq.
In 2007, Chief Owens was promoted to Assistant Chief at U.S. Border Patrol Headquarters in Washington, DC with the Special Operations Division. His assignments included the Special Operations Group liaison and Special Projects. In 2009, he transferred to the Grand Forks Sector as the Patrol Agent in Charge (PAIC) of the Pembina Station and later promoted to Assistant Chief Patrol Agent, managing all stations within Minnesota.
In 2012, Chief Owens transferred to the Rio Grande Valley Sector and served as the Special Operations Detachment PAIC. He later promoted to Rio Grande City Station PAIC, commanding one of the largest and busiest stations in the nation.
In 2015, he was selected as the Laredo Sector Division Chief of Operations. From June 2016 to September 2016, he was assigned to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, and Office of Intelligence as the Deputy Assistant Director for Enterprise Services in Washington, DC. In this senior executive assignment, he spearheaded deploying Agency classified network technology and infrastructure and developing the career path program for the Intelligence Research Specialist position. From June 2017 to September 2018, Chief Owens served as Laredo Sector Acting CPA.
Chief Owens is a proud member of the Cherokee Nation. He and his wife, Casandra, have two sons, Blake and Zachary, who are both actively serving in the armed forces (Navy and Air Force). He is a former nationally registered
paramedic and holds both a Master’s degree in Accountancy from Shorter University and a Master’s degree in National Security Strategy from the National War College. He is a graduate of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Leadership Institute (University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business and University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business), American University’s Key Executive Leadership Program, and the Department of Homeland Security Senior Executive Service Candidate Development Program

Director Christopher Wray has named Johnnie Sharp, Jr. as the assistant director of the IT Infrastructure Division at the FBI’s campus in Huntsville, Alabama. He most recently served as special agent in charge of the Birmingham Field Office in Alabama.

Mr. Sharp is the first person to hold an assistant director position in Huntsville, where the FBI is locating some of its technical and specialized training activities.

Mr. Sharp joined the FBI as a special agent in 1998 and was assigned to the Pittsburgh Field Office to investigate counterintelligence and counterterrorism matters. He also served as a firearms instructor and on the SWAT Team. In 2005, Mr. Sharp was promoted to supervisory special agent and transferred to one of the international terrorism sections in the Counterterrorism Division at FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C.

In 2008, Mr. Sharp was named a squad supervisor of the counterintelligence, cyber, and technical programs in the Jackson Field Office in Mississippi. In 2009, he served for several months as the FBI’s deputy on-scene commander in Iraq, responsible for leading counterterrorism operations. He returned to Jackson and was promoted in 2013 to assistant special agent in charge of Jackson’s National Security Branch. He managed the cyber, counterintelligence, counterterrorism, weapons of mass destruction, crisis management, and technical programs.

Mr. Sharp was promoted to section chief of the Technical Surveillance Section in the Operational Technology Division at Headquarters in 2015. As section chief, he provided management over eight technical units responsible for evidence and intelligence collection capabilities.

During his career, Mr. Sharp served temporary FBI assignments in London, Cairo, New Delhi, and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. He was selected to serve as the special agent in charge of the Birmingham Field Office in 2017.Prior to joining the FBI, Mr. Sharp was a deputy sheriff and police officer in Knoxville, Tennessee. He earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Tennessee.