New Texas Ranger Chief
By: Laura Kellerman/RNS
Updated: December 18, 2008
Antonio "Tony" Leal has been named chief of the Texas Ranger Division, becoming the first Hispanic to lead the elite crime-fighting force. Leal is a 24-year veteran of DPS and is the first Hispanic and the youngest person ever named chief of the Texas Ranger Division.
The 44-year old Leal was born in Sugarland and raised in the Fort Bend County area. He began his career with DPS in June 1984. He started as a Highway Patrol trooper in Stafford and Rosenberg and then moved to San Antonio as a Highway Patrol sergeant, before promoting to the Texas Rangers in 1994.
His Ranger duty stations included assignments in Liberty, Seguin and San Antonio, where he was part of the Unsolved Crimes Investigation Team. Leal promoted to lieutenant in 2002 and was stationed in Austin. In 2005, he promoted to captain of Company A in Houston, overseeing 20 Texas Rangers responsible for 30 counties. His appointment to Ranger chief took effect December 10.
The Rangers specialize in investigating felony crimes such as murder, white-collar crime and public corruption. The Texas Rangers are one of the six major divisions that make up DPS, along with the Highway Patrol, Criminal Law Enforcement, Driver License, Emergency Management and Administration divisions. The Ranger Division includes 160 people, including 134 Texas Rangers.
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