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Ron Colburn is a Consultant at Command Group. Chief Colburn has one of the most extensive backgrounds in border security in the world today, having served in critical operational positions in the field and at the headquarters of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency for over 30 years.
Most recently, Chief Colburn was the National Deputy Chief of the U.S. Border Patrol within U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the agency at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security that is now the largest federal law enforcement organization in the United States. While at CBP, he helped lead a workforce of over 20,000 individuals charged with the mission of protecting, defending, and enforcing America’s borders between lawful ports of entry and helped to lead the Border Patrol during a time of unprecedented scrutiny of America’s border security operations. He helped oversee the effort to double the size of the U.S. Border Patrol and was critical to the operational deployment of billions of dollars of technology and tactical infrastructure designed to bolster U.S. law enforcement efforts. Immediately prior to being named Deputy Chief, Mr. Colburn served briefly as Acting Deputy Executive Director of the Secure Border Initiative (SBI). Chief Colburn previously served as Chief Patrol Agent of the Yuma Sector area of responsibility (AOR). At the time of his arrival in 2005, Yuma Sector was considered the most violent and dangerous stretch of the border. Chief Colburn oversaw the rapid deployment of additional manpower, National Guard support, tactical infrastructure, and cutting-edge “smart border” technology. In less than two years under his direction, Yuma Sector was the stretch of national border with the most significant improvement in “operational control.” Prior to leading Yuma Sector, Mr. Colburn was the Senior Associate Chief of Operations at U.S. Border Patrol Headquarters. From 2002 to 2003, Chief Colburn served a special tour of duty at the White House, serving as the Director of Law Enforcement at the Homeland Security Council (HSC). In this capacity, Chief Colburn was responsible for developing policy and crafting the implementation of Homeland Security and national law enforcement initiatives. Chief Colburn is a founding member of the U.S. Border Patrol’s national special weapons and tactics unit known as “BORTAC,” having completed the first-ever basic tactical operations training course in May 1984. He later served as a Team Leader on numerous missions. In the late 1980s, Colburn led a team to South America where they conducted jungle patrols targeting cocaine production labs, airstrips, and aircraft. Under Chief Colburn’s supervision, they trained national police units in counternarcotic operations, manned checkpoints, and interdicted drugs and drug manufacturing precursor materials. He later served in Central America and established a national police training academy in support of a truce agreement between leftist guerrillas and the standing El Salvadoran government. Chief Colburn has extensive experience training local city, county, and state SWAT units as well as other federal and U.S. military entities in tactical operations. Chief Colburn represents one of four generations from his family with extensive Border Patrol experience. His grandfather patrolled the border in the early 1900s with a “Mounted Guard” horse patrol unit. His father served nearly 30 years in various Border Patrol and INS positions, and retired in the early 1980s. Chief Colburn’s youngest son is currently a Supervisory U.S. Border Patrol Agent. |
Consultant, Command Group
National Deputy Chief, U.S. Customs and Border Protection Chief Patrol Agent, Yuma Sector, U.S. Customs and Border Protection Senior Associate Chief, Southern Border Operations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection Director of Law Enforcement, White House Homeland Security Council Contact:
Washington, DC E: rcolburn@commandcg.com T: (202) 207-2930 F: (202) 347-8510 |