Valor Lead Trainer | Director of Training
​
Chief Juan Gonzalez has over thirty-five years of law enforcement experience. He retired from the Pharr Police Department in 2009 and the San Juan Police Department in 2020. Throughout his career he served as a patrol officer, narcotics officer, patrol sergeant, field training supervisor, special crimes supervisor, police academy instructor, patrol lieutenant, training commander, swat commander, risk manager, interim city manager, and Chief of Police. Chief Juan Gonzalez has trained hundreds of police officers in officer & vehicle tactical safety courses throughout his career.
Chief Juan Gonzalez retired in 2020 as the Chief of Police for the City of San Juan, Texas and served as the Regional SWAT Commander for the San Juan Law Enforcement Emergency Regional Response Team (LEERRT) from 2009-2020. He created the LEERRT team in 2009 along with other Chiefs of Police through a homeland security grant. Chief Gonzalez is a graduate of the FBI National Academy and the National Tactical Officers Association (NTOA) Command College.
He holds a Master Peace Officer License and is an advanced TCOLE instructor. He is a Force Science Analyst and a tactical instructor with numerous intermediate and advanced instructor certifications in firearms, mechanical & ballistic breaching, ballistic shield, noise flash diversionary devices, force options (taser, baton, OC), de-escalation, chemical munitions, less lethal munitions, CQB tactical countermeasures, FX Scenario & Safety, PPCT-CQB, safe restraints, in-custody death prevention, defensive tactics, tire deflation devices, weapon lights systems instructor, EVOC, counter terrorism, ALERRT LEVEL I Instructor, AAIR Instructor, ERASE Instructor , SORD Instructor , BREACHING Instructor, and CRASE Instructor, crisis intervention, VALOR, Below 100, and numerous other instructor certifications in police management, tactical operations, patrol tactics, officer resilience, and tactical safety.
As a graduate of the NTOA Command College and other national management courses, Chief Gonzalez has received specialized training in training management and risk mitigation for SWAT teams, management of tactical operations centers, patrol critical incidents, resolution of hostage negotiations, resolution of barricade incidents, legal and liability management for specialized teams, armored vehicle operations, and management of crisis negotiations teams.
Chief Gonzalez retired in August 2020 and has subsequently established Valor Law Enforcement Training & Consulting LLC. As the lead trainer and instructor, he has conducted basic & advanced swat courses, and other tactical firearms, officer safety, special investigations, private security, and tactical safety courses across the State of Texas. He currently provides subject matter expertise and consulting services to local, county, state, and federal agencies. Valor Law Enforcement Training & Consulting LLC is an established professional training organization with national and international industry product and training entities.
As the regional SWAT commander for LEERRT, Chief Gonzalez commanded over one hundred operations with local, county, state, and federal agencies from 2010-2020. The LEERRT team in conjunction with other local, and regional swat teams across the state and nationally, responded to multiple high-risk incidents, and served multiple high-risk arrest & search warrants in Hidalgo, Cameron, Starr, Willacy, Brooks, Jim Wells, and Webb County.
As the primary grant writer for LEERRT, Chief Gonzalez was able to secure over $600,000.00 dollars in grant money for equipment from homeland security, and specialized equipment from the Texas LESO program for the operation and training of the LEERRT team. Chief Gonzalez commanded a team of up to forty-eight members from twenty-four different agencies that included, swat operators, tactical medics, hostage negotiators, snipers, tactical K-9 handlers, and team leaders.
Additionally, as the lead trainer and instructor for LEERRT, Chief Gonzalez and his instructor cadre conducted numerous basic SWAT courses, advanced swat courses, hostage rescue courses, armored vehicle tactics courses, firearm instructor courses, ballistic shield tactics courses, personal protection officer courses, NFDD courses, tactical K-9 courses, counter-terrorism courses, specialized ballistic breaching courses, vehicle assault & rescue courses, tactical medic courses, bus assault & rescue courses, active shooter event courses, active shooter exercises, and explosive breaching courses to local, county, state and federal agencies.
In 2015, Chief Gonzalez and his instructor cadre trained the Paraguay National SWAT team CETI for fifteen days in tactical operation courses that included basic and advanced SWAT courses tactical firearms, hostage rescue, armored vehicle tactics, force options, officer-involved shooting courses, officer rescue, and bus assaults. Chief Gonzalez has trained law enforcement officers in Honduras for the National Police on High-Risk Vehicle Stops and Protection of Crime Scenes.
Chief Gonzalez has been instrumental in providing subject matter operation expertise, training, and guidance to local, county, state, and federal special response teams throughout his career. As the regional SWAT commander for LEERRT, the team was featured in numerous local, state, national, and international media outlets in combatting violent crime at the border, and the partnerships with other law enforcement agencies in dismantling, displacing, and disrupting the operation of drug cartels, and transnational gangs in the Rio Grande Valley.
Valor Law Enforcement Training and Consulting LLC offers a diverse amount of specialized tactical training and consulting resources for law enforcement and private security.