J.E. "Eddie" Guerra was elected to office as Hidalgo County Sheriff in November 2014, after having been appointed by Commissioners Court and serving as interim Sheriff since April 2014. As Sheriff, Guerra's goal is to uphold the Sheriff’s Office to the highest standards. He is working diligently to restore the public trust in the County's law enforcement by re-evaluating policies and procedures, changing top leadership, and implementing an efficient management style. Guerra is responsible for enforcing state and local laws relating to public safety and welfare. Guerra oversees approximately 872 deputies and staff, including the county jail.
Guerra has 28 years of law enforcement experience. Prior to becoming Sheriff, Guerra served as Hidalgo County Precinct 4 Constable beginning in 2009. He was emphatically re-elected and served as Constable with distinction. Under his leadership, the Precinct 4 Constable's Office received awards from ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Texas Attorney General's Office, Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, Texas Department of Public Safety and Edinburg Consolidated Independent School District.
Guerra became involved in law enforcement because of his personal experience growing up in the rural Linn/San Manuel area where he saw first-hand the lack of connection between the community and county law enforcement services. It was in 1995 when Guerra set out to make a difference by joining the Precinct 4 Constable's Office as a part-time reserve deputy serving the area where he lived and worked. He soon became a valuable resource to the community. In 1999, he was recruited by the Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office as a deputy. He quickly moved up the ranks to sergeant and was assigned to the U.S. Customs Drug Task Force where he served as the primary liaison officer between the Sheriff’s Office and U.S. Customs. He served as a liaison officer for five years and earned the respect of the local, state and federal law enforcement agencies with whom he worked. His efforts helped confiscate over $1 million in seized assets to the Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office.
Guerra was born in McAllen and grew up on the D.V. Guerra Ranch, named after his grandfather. He went through Catholic school and graduated from Edinburg High School in 1980. He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Agricultural Education from Texas A&M University.