February 20, 2026
After 32 years of government service, and 10 duty stations (international and domestic), along with several TDY assignments, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Area Port Director of Philadelphia, Cleatus P. Hunt Jr. will retire effective February 21, 2026. For approximately the last year and a half, Mr. Hunt has professionally and admirably served the Area Port of Philadelphia. Mr. Hunt will certainly be missed by the CBP staff in the Area Port of Philadelphia and CBP’s many partners. Please wish him continued success in the next chapter of his life.
Upon Area Port Director Hunt’s retirement, Elliot Ortiz will serve as acting Area Port Director, Philadelphia, PA. Mr. Ortiz currently serves as the Assistant Area Port Director for Agriculture in Philadelphia. He started his CBP career in the Port of New York/Newark as a CBP Agriculture Specialist and worked his way through the ranks as a Supervisory Agriculture Specialist in the Port of Las Vegas, Chief CBP Agriculture Specialist in the Port of Boston, and Agriculture Branch Chief for the Area Port of Philadelphia. Mr. Ortiz also served abroad for CBP in Toronto Preclearance from 2007 – 2012. CBP is confident acting Area Port Director Ortiz will be a strong leader for the Area Port of Philadelphia and a critical part of the Baltimore Field Office senior leadership team.