Doña Ana County Sheriff Enrique “Kiki” Vigil has appointed Liliana McDowell-Schnell as the new undersheriff for the department. McDowell-Schnell will assume her duties effective Monday, April 30.
McDowell-Schnell is currently serving as the Otero County Undersheriff, where she was appointed by Sheriff Benny House in 2016. Prior to working in Otero County, she retired from a career with the Federal Bureau of Investigations where she worked extensively in civil rights and human trafficking investigations. She also worked as a crisis negotiator in the El Paso and Albuquerque divisions of the FBI for 18 years.
“I am excited to have Liliana on board,” said Vigil. “Her leadership in civil rights and crisis prevention will greatly benefit our border county. Her remarkable career, experience and leadership with the FBI and her work with the DEA, ATF, and IRS will bring a wealth of knowledge to our office that will serve the residents of Doña Ana County well.”
“Working in Doña Ana County is like coming home,” said McDowell-Schnell. “I worked with many DASO employees while I was with the Bureau. I have great respect and affection for them and the department.”
McDowell-Schnell was born in Guadalajara, Mexico and earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas at El Paso. She has more than 20 years of experience in law enforcement, serving in supervisory positions that focused on training and personnel development. Prior to working in law enforcement, she was a bilingual educator for the El Paso Independent School District. She is the second female undersheriff to serve the Doña Ana County Sheriff's Department after Kathy Fuller, who was appointed Undersheriff by Sheriff James Robles in 1998.
Information from Doña Ana County