Sacrifice Overseas: LEOs Killed Protecting Americans Across the Globe

Most citizens probably don't realize that there are thousands of American law enforcement officers protecting our streets who aren't even in America. The growing American influence of the 20th century demanded that American LEOs be deployed overseas to protect our embassies and other interests. The vast majority, but not all, of these men and women who are serving in foreign lands are federal agents. Believe it or not, the NYPD has permanent duty stations in Canada, Australia, Israel, Jordan, Singapore, Dominican Republic, England, and France.

Lt. Joseph Petrosino

In fact, the NYPD was the first and only city-level police department to have an officer killed in the line of duty while deployed overseas. On March 12, 1909, Lieutenant Joseph Petrosino was assassinated in Sicily, Italy, by the Italian mafia. Lt. Petrosino was in Italy with orders to infiltrate the mafia in order to reduce their influence on crime in New York City. Lt. Petrosino's work fighting the mafia stateside drew national news and his murder created outrage across the country. An astounding quarter-million citizens attended his funeral.

In total, 64 American law enforcement officers have been killed in 24 different countries. In addition to Lt. Petrosino of the NYPD, 58 federal law enforcement officers and five Texas Rangers have been killed in the following countries:

Afghanistan Argentina Aruba Bosnia Canada Colombia Germany India Iraq Ireland Italy Japan

Kosovo Kuwait Mexico Peru Phillipines Scotland South Korea Surinam Thailand The Bahamas Turkey Vietnam

S/A Enrique Camarena

One of the most horrific losses was that of DEA Special Agent Enrique Camarena. Special Agent Camarena was in Mexico conducting an undercover assignment in 1985 when he was exposed as an agent and abducted. He was tortured by members of a drug cartel for two days before finally being murdered. His body was recovered one month later.

The sacrifices of brave LEOs who are killed overseas, like Lt. Petrosino and Special Agent, all too often go unnoticed by the American public. However, their law enforcement brothers and sisters will never let their sacrifices be forgotten.

Click on any LEOs name below to learn about their sacrifice, made thousands of miles from home while protecting America:

Private Augustus Smith	Texas Rangers, TX	1855-10-03
Private William H. Clopton	Texas Rangers, TX	1855-10-03
Private Willis E. Jones	Texas Rangers, TX	1855-10-03
Private H. K. Holland	Texas Rangers, TX	1855-10-03
Captain Frank Jones	Texas Rangers, TX	1893-06-30
Lieutenant Giuseppe (Joseph) Petrosino	New York City Police Department, NY	1909-03-12
Operative Robert K. Webster	United States Department of the Treasury - Secret Service, US	1927-08-07
Coast Guardsman Sidney C. Sanderlin	United States Coast Guard Office of Law Enforcement, US	1927-08-07
Coast Guardsman Victor A. Lamby	United States Coast Guard Office of Law Enforcement, US	1927-08-11
Immigration Inspector Laurence E. Doten	United States Department of Justice - Immigration and Naturalization Service, US	1930-08-24
Immigration Inspector Lawrence C. Jones	United States Department of Justice - Immigration and Naturalization Service, US	1930-08-24
Operative August Adolph (Gus) Gennerich	United States Department of the Treasury - Secret Service, US	1936-12-01
Special Agent Percy E. Foxworth	United States Department of Justice - Federal Bureau of Investigation, US	1943-01-15
Special Agent Harold Dennis Haberfield	United States Department of Justice - Federal Bureau of Investigation, US	1943-01-15
Special Agent Walter Edward Snyder	United States Army Criminal Investigation Division, US	1948-05-09
Special Agent Lee Charles Hitchcock	United States Air Force Office of Special Investigations, US	1967-09-10
Investigator John Albert Hanson	United States Army Criminal Investigation Division, US	1970-05-09
Special Agent Raymond R. Round	United States Air Force Office of Special Investigations, US	1970-09-12
Special Agent Harry J. Schanz	United States Naval Criminal Investigative Service, US	1972-10-29
Special Agent Richard Heath Jr.	United States Department of Justice - Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs, US	1973-04-01
Special Agent J. Clifford Dietrich	United States Department of the Treasury - Secret Service, US	1973-05-26
Special Agent Norman Emmett Larson	United States Army Criminal Investigation Division, US	1973-09-24
Special Agent James T. Lunn	United States Department of Justice - Drug Enforcement Administration, US	1976-05-14
Special Agent Ralph N. Shaw	United States Department of Justice - Drug Enforcement Administration, US	1976-05-14
Special Agent Octavio Gonzales	United States Department of Justice - Drug Enforcement Administration, US	1976-12-13
Special Agent Robert C. Lightfoot	United States Department of Justice - Drug Enforcement Administration, US	1977-11-23
Security Policeman Robert Scott Gray	United States Air Force Security Forces, US	1978-01-06
Security Policeman William C. Herrington	United States Air Force Security Forces, US	1980-11-15
Special Agent Larry N. Carwell	United States Department of Justice - Drug Enforcement Administration, US	1984-01-11
Special Agent Enrique Salazar Camarena	United States Department of Justice - Drug Enforcement Administration, US	1985-02-09
Special Agent Dirk A. Miller	United States Army Criminal Investigation Division, US	1985-12-12
Special Agent Jerry William Kramer	United States Naval Criminal Investigative Service, US	1988-03-17
Special Agent Douglas Brian Kocina	United States Naval Criminal Investigative Service, US	1988-03-17
Assistant Deputy Director Michael S. Bernstein	United States Department of Justice - Office of Special Investigations, US	1988-12-21
Special Agent Ronald Albert Lariviere	United States Department of State - Diplomatic Security Service, US	1988-12-21
Special Agent Daniel Emmett O'Connor	United States Department of State - Diplomatic Security Service, US	1988-12-21
Special Agent Rickie C. Finley	United States Department of Justice - Drug Enforcement Administration, US	1989-05-20
Immigration Inspector Reynaldo G. De La Garza	United States Department of Justice - Immigration and Naturalization Service, US	1990-01-07
Investigator Joseph Emanuele	United States Naval Criminal Investigative Service, US	1993-10-16
Special Agent Frank S. Wallace Jr.	United States Department of Justice - Drug Enforcement Administration, US	1994-08-27
Special Agent Juan C. Vars	United States Department of Justice - Drug Enforcement Administration, US	1994-08-27
Special Agent Frank Fernandez Jr.	United States Department of Justice - Drug Enforcement Administration, US	1994-08-27
Special Agent Jay W. Seale	United States Department of Justice - Drug Enforcement Administration, US	1994-08-27
Special Agent Meredith Thompson	United States Department of Justice - Drug Enforcement Administration, US	1994-08-27
Special Agent Duane R. Christian	United States Department of Commerce - Office of Security, US	1996-04-03
Special Agent Harrison Dean Pulliam	United States Air Force Office of Special Investigations, US	1997-03-02
Security Policeman Charles V. Campbell Jr.	United States Air Force Security Forces, US	1998-10-14
Security Policeman David R. Schroeder Jr.	United States Air Force Security Forces, US	1998-10-14
Sergeant First Class Jeanne M. Balcombe	United States Army Military Police Corps, US	1999-08-21
Military Police Officer James Thomas Sakofsky	United States Army Military Police Corps, US	2001-06-01
Special Agent in Charge William Thomas Parr	United States Environmental Protection Agency - Criminal Investigations Division, US	2002-01-17
Special Agent Rick Alan Ulbright	United States Air Force Office of Special Investigations, US	2004-08-08
Special Agent Edward J. Seitz	United States Department of State - Diplomatic Security Service, US	2004-10-24
Special Agent Stephen Eric Sullivan	United States Department of State - Diplomatic Security Service, US	2005-09-19
Special Agent Daniel Joseph Kuhlmeier	United States Air Force Office of Special Investigations, US	2006-02-20
Special Agent Ryan A. Balmer	United States Air Force Office of Special Investigations, US	2007-06-05
Special Agent Matthew Joseph Kuglics	United States Air Force Office of Special Investigations, US	2007-06-05
Special Agent Michael Walter Thyssen	United States Air Force Office of Special Investigations, US	2007-06-09
Special Agent David A. Wieger	United States Air Force Office of Special Investigations, US	2007-11-01
Special Agent Thomas A. Crowell	United States Air Force Office of Special Investigations, US	2007-11-01
Special Agent Nathan J. Schuldheiss	United States Air Force Office of Special Investigations, US	2007-11-01
Special Agent Chad L. Michael	United States Department of Justice - Drug Enforcement Administration, US	2009-10-26
Special Agent Forrest Nelson Leamon	United States Department of Justice - Drug Enforcement Administration, US	2009-10-26
Special Agent Michael E. Weston	United States Department of Justice - Drug Enforcement Administration, US	2009-10-26