Roberto Vaquero

Mr. Vaquero currently serves as the Acting Executive Director of the Innovation and Strategy Directorate (ISD) within U.S. Customs and Border Protection's (CBP) Office of Field Operations (OFO). In this role, he leads enterprise-level efforts to advance operational effectiveness, innovation, technology integration, and strategic modernization across OFO. ISD supports the organization through data-driven analysis, strategic planning, program and project management, field-focused innovation, and collaboration with government and industry partners.

Mr. Vaquero's portfolio includes major programs that directly support CBP's border security and travel and trade missions. The Directorate's Non- Intrusive Inspection Division deploys and sustains advanced inspection capabilities that enable CBP officers and agents to identify potential threats, including narcotics, contraband, and concealed people, while facilitating legitimate trade and travel. The Biometrics Program Office leads OFO's evaluation and implementation of facial comparison technology and coordinates with internal/external stakeholders to develop responsible, mission-focused biometric capabilities.

Prior to this assignment, Mr. Vaquero served as Director of Field Operations for the San Juan Field Office, where he exercised executive authority for OFO's activities throughout Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. He led approximately 650 employees across 10 ports of entry and multiple offices, overseeing border security, passenger operations, trade enforcement and facilitation, targeting and analysis, canine enforcement, and administrative programs. His responsibilities included stewardship of a combined operating budget exceeding $100 million and oversight of operations processing millions of travelers and tens of thousands of vessels annually.

Throughout his career, Mr. Vaquero has led complex operational and modernization initiatives with measurable results. His accomplishments include modernizing commercial-entry payment processing in the U.S. Virgin Islands, significantly reducing manual transactions and processing requirements; spearheading an inter-fieldoffice cruise-processing initiative that reduced passenger wait times; advancing biometric facial-debarkation technology through public-private partnerships; and redesigning asylum processing procedures that substantially reduced processing times and were subsequently implemented nationwide.

Mr. Vaquero has also held key leadership assignments at CBP. He served as Director of the Immigration Advisory Program, overseeing international operations in 13 countries; Branch Chief for the Enforcement Programs Division; Acting Border Security Coordinator for the New York Field Office; Chief at the Port of Fort Lauderdale/Port Everglades; and in leadership positions at Miami International Airport. His international experience includes border-security initiatives and partnerships throughout Latin America and the Caribbean.

Mr. Vaquero has more than two decades of federal service and became a member of the Senior Executive Service in 2022. He has completed executive leadership and performance leadership programs through Cornell University.