Minerva Torres Shelton began her public service career in January 1994 with the United States Army, serving as a Military Intelligence Sergeant (E-5) in the 224th Military Intelligence Battalion, attached to an airborne unit. In January 1997, she transitioned to civilian law enforcement and began a career with the El Paso Police Department, where she served for five years as a Central Patrol Officer.
In January 2002, Minerva entered federal law enforcement service with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, dedicating 21 years to protecting the public through complex and high-impact investigations. She worked in the following field offices: Sacramento,
Seattle, and El Paso, and also had the privilege of working at the FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C. During her 21-year career, she held the positions of Special Agent, Task Force Coordinator, and Supervisory Special Agent. Her specialty responsibilities covered juvenile human trafficking, counterterrorism, fraud, criminal investigations and fugitive operations.
For seven years, Minerva served as a Task Force Coordinator and later as a supervisor at FBI Headquarters, where she managed large-scale operations and oversaw substantial budgets. As a supervisor, she was selected to coordinate a multimillion-dollar initiative involving 56 FBI field offices, 85 task forces, and international partners. She developed structured financial plans to support coordinated efforts with county, state, and federal agencies, ensuring accountability and efficiency across jurisdictions. Her fiscal leadership included identifying resource requirements, establishing overtime and reimbursement protocols, monitoring expenditures, tracking performance metrics, reallocating funds as necessary, and delivering clear, consistent budget reports to partner agencies.
Throughout her career, Minerva worked closely with local, state, federal, and international partners, as well as nonprofit organizations, faith-based groups, and community leaders. She has served on several nonprofit boards, such as the El Paso
Central Appraisal Board (CAD), Gigis Playhouse El Paso, and the Boys and Girls Club El Paso (current), and was a member of the Junior League of El Paso. She has been recognized repeatedly for her leadership, integrity, and dedication to service. Her
honors include a Unit Citation from the Sacramento Police Department in August 2009 for Exceptional Partnership, recognition from the Kennewick Police Department in November 2016 for working a complex, resource-intensive investigation, and an FBI
Citation of Achievement in September 2020 for Outstanding Performance. Additionally, in 2013 she was honored by the nonprofit organization “Courage To Be You,” for her advocacy and service. Each role she held required extensive background investigations, underscoring the trust placed in her to safeguard sensitive information, operations and intelligence. She is trained in Incident Command System (ICS) management, National Incident Management System (NIMS), and Crisis Negotiations.
Minerva holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice from University of New Mexico, and a Master’s Degree in Political Science with a concentration in International Relations from the American Military University. Combining academic training with decades of operational experience, she has led teams, managed public funds responsibly, and followed financial trails critical to major investigations. She now seeks to bring the same disciplined leadership, transparency, and commitment to service to the role of County Judge.
Minerva and her husband Don are proud parents to their two adult children, Ariel and Ethan, and two “fur babies,” Hank and Tanner. When she is not advocating for the people of El Paso, she enjoys trying different coffee drinks, running and reading.
