The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office (MDSO) is pleased to announce that Lt. Luis F. Correa Jr. has been awarded the agency's Silver Medal of Valor, Lifesaving Award, and Distinguished Deputy of the Month and Coach William C. Varas will be awarded our very first MDSO Citizen of the Month.

Lt. Luis F. Correa Jr. of the Homeland Security Bureau as the Distinguished Deputy of the Month of June for his heroic lifesaving actions. On June 15, 2026, Lt. Correa was fueling his Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office vehicle at a Miami-Dade Fire Rescue logistics facility.  Simultaneously, there were two civilians working in a manhole when a violent explosion and fire occurred in the fueling area. Tragically, one worker was killed, while another sustained critical injuries.  Lt. Correa immediately went towards the danger area and removed the surviving worker, facilitating the injured worker's extraction to a relatively safer place where emergency medical personnel could begin lifesaving care. His actions were instrumental in the surviving worker's timely extraction and access to critical medical treatment. In addition to being named the Distinguished Deputy of the Month, Lt. Correa is also awarded the Silver Medal of Valor and Lifesaving Award for his bravery, quick action, and commitment to public safety being undertaken at significant personal risk.

Coach William C. Varas as the first-ever MDSO Citizen of the Month.  Coach Varas is a Physical Education Teacher at Lighthouse Ministry School, and on May 8, 2026, one of his students was attempting to drink from a water bottle that still had the cap on, when it came off and became lodged in the student's throat, blocking the airway.  Coach Varas immediately assessed the situation and began life-saving measures by administering abdominal thrusts.  After several thrusts, the bottle cap was successfully expelled from the child's throat which permitted the child to breathe again.  His swift actions during this critical incident were instrumental in saving the child's life, and he is wholeheartedly commended for a job extremely well done.

The MDSO Warrants Bureau's Florida Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force as unit of the month.  Comprised of six deputies and one sergeant, the squad consistently demonstrates an extraordinary ability to conduct complex, high-risk operations while achieving results that far exceed what would normally be expected of a unit their size.  Their commitment to public safety, teamwork, and operational excellence directly contributed to the successful apprehension of several dangerous fugitives.