BROWNSVILLE — For more than 15 years, Pamela Taylor’s family has prepared a Thanksgiving luncheon for local law enforcement officers, complete with turkey, all the fixings and warm southern hospitality.
Because they live out on Old Nogales Ranch Road by the Rio Grande — outside the Brownsville city limits — the family has come to know the Border Patrol agents well. Some agents will even stop by the house from time to time for a quick glass of water or soda.
“They’re the only protection we have when something goes wrong out here,” said Michelle Moncivaiz, Taylor’s daughter. “They’re the first line of defense.”
The Taylor family continued the tradition Tuesday, providing law enforcement with another Thanksgiving meal.
Agent Edgar Cano said he was humbled to be invited into the Taylor family’s household.
“We’ve known the Taylors for many years, and we try to make them part of our Border Patrol community and vice versa,” Cano said. “A big part of our goals is to engage with the community so we can share mutual concerns.”
That goal extends to all the residencies in the area. The Border Patrol invites them all, once a month, to the Fort Brown station for meetings, Special Operations Supervisor Omar Zamora said.
“They become part of our family. We take care of each other,” Zamora said. “We patrol this area daily.”
Because they have no extended family, Taylor said the meal was a way of giving back to the community. They also invite their neighbors.
The Fire Station 3 squad also made a quick visit, bringing their engines just in case there was a call.
The squad had just finished a house fire call earlier that morning. After the luncheon, some of the firefighters needed to attend training.
“It means a lot to us that they personally invited us. It was great, everything was delicious,” Lt. Juan Jose Garcia said.
When the crew finished the meal, Garcia thanked Taylor and told her she was welcome at the station anytime.
She extended the same courtesy.
“It’s not a job a lot of people want to go for. It’s getting more dangerous,” Taylor said. “It must be very hard to wake up in the morning knowing something can backfire.”
