Every American who lived through 9/11 has a story about where they were and what they were doing when they first heard of the terrorist attacks that day. While it was a day of immense pain and grief for our nation, Americans banded together and demonstrated extraordinary courage in the face of adversity. Some took that tragedy as a call to dedicate their lives to protecting our homeland from future attacks. The following stories illustrate how some ICE personnel remember that fateful day — and how it shaped their careers.
Diana Alvarez
Homeland Security Investigations section chief
On Sept. 11, 2001, Diana Alvarez, then just 24, was working as a contract analyst for the U.S. Customs Service’s Asset Forfeiture Unit in the World Trade Center. Born and raised in New York City, she recalls how the guidance of her supervisor, who had experienced the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, helped her respond to the attack.
“It almost felt like standing on a street above a subway system and feeling that rumble,” she said. “I immediately pushed my chair away from my desk and looked at my colleague. I said, ‘Oh my God, that’s a bomb.’”
Alvarez and her colleagues quickly grabbed their belongings and headed for the stairwells, joining the steady stream of evacuees.
“Looking back, I’m so grateful I had the wherewithal to get out quickly,” Alvarez reflected. “We left so fast that we caught the last train rides out. If we had stayed to watch, we would have been there when the buildings came down.”
Alvarez joined ICE as a special agent in 2006, following the post-9/11 reorganization that merged U.S. Customs with other agencies to form the Department of Homeland Security.
Today, she serves as section chief for HSI’s National Security Unit’s Counterterrorism Section, working tirelessly to protect the homeland from another 9/11-like attack.
“At the core, ICE is here to protect the homeland and prevent any foreign actor from exploiting our borders and resources,” she said.
Christopher Costa
Homeland Security Investigations special agent
On Sept. 11, 2001, Christopher Costa was a law enforcement physical security specialist with the Federal Protective Service assigned to 26 Federal Plaza in New York City. That morning, he took the PATH train from New Jersey to the World Trade Center.
When the first plane struck the North Tower, Costa and his colleagues sprang into action to respond. The second plane hit as they helped evacuate the Federal Childcare Center — and when the first tower collapsed, Costa was near Church and Vesey Streets.
On Sept. 12 and 13, he searched for survivors in the South Tower’s collapsed remains at Ground Zero.
“The area was filled with dust, dirt and ash,” Costa recalled. “There were piles of twisted metal and concrete. Other responders operated cutting metal and sparks were visible. The air felt thick with dust and soot; it was hot and smelled of fire.”
As part of a group of responders, Costa and his colleagues formed a human line, passing 5-gallon buckets of concrete debris down the side of the pile as they searched for survivors.
Costa was later assigned to the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, where he witnessed the FBI reconstruct 9/11’s timeline and the terrorists’ backgrounds. On Dec. 20, 2001, the Federal Protective Service honored Costa with a Commendable Service Award from the General Services Administration that reads:
“In recognition of your commitment to GSA’s mission as demonstrated by your exceptional service during the response and recovery efforts following the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City on September 11, 2011.”
Costa received the Commendable Service Award from the Federal Protective Service in December 2001 for his outstanding contributions following the 9/11 attacks in New York City.
In February 2002, Costa transferred to the Federal Air Marshal Service, which is part of DHS’ Transportation Security Administration. On Sept. 11, 2002, he flew a security mission as part of enhanced security surrounding the attacks’ anniversary. He still keeps the ticket stubs and a note he received from a flight attendant on a napkin that reads, “Thank you for being our guardian angels today.”
In April 2003, Costa transferred to HSI. In 2010, he worked with Special Agent Robert Castioni, who mentored him in conducting financial investigations involving high-value assets. Castioni passed away in 2023 from cancer linked to his search and recovery efforts at the World Trade Center.
Frank Dimaio
Certified undercover fundamental financial system administrator
On Sept. 11, 2001, Frank Dimaio — then a U.S. Customs Service special agent — was exercising in his workplace gym when the first plane struck the North Tower.
“I could feel the building shake and saw asbestos falling from the ceiling,” Dimaio recalled. “There were only four agents in the gym at the time. Our firearms range was adjacent to the gym. We went into the range to see if there had been an ammunition explosion. The range officer stated negative.”
As evacuation alarms sounded, Dimaio got dressed and went upstairs, where he encountered numerous firemen and emergency personnel. He offered to assist but was told to cross the bridge connecting the Customs House to the Financial Harbor Marina.
“I saw massive flames pouring out of the top floors of the North Tower,” Dimaio said. “I saw people jumping out of office windows. I witnessed the South and North Towers implode. I assisted people gathered at the site.”
The next day, Dimaio went to the U.S. Customs Service’s JFK office, where agents were assigned vehicles. His government vehicle had been parked in the North Tower garage. He volunteered to provide security at Ground Zero and, four weeks later, volunteered at the World Trade Center recovery site on Staten Island.
Vincenzo Fiermonte
Chief intelligence officer
On Sept. 11, Vincenzo Fiermonte was working as a U.S. Customs Service inspector in New York City.
Fiermonte’s family had recently rented the second-floor apartment of their home to a family from Kazakhstan — two parents and their four-year-old daughter who moved into the apartment in late August 2001. The young mother had gotten a position with a firm at the World Trade Center, and her first day on the job was Sept. 11.
“I saw her leave for work that day, and she never returned,” Fiermonte recalled. He spent significant time searching for her alongside her husband, who spoke little English, while his family and neighbors cared for the couple’s daughter.
The 9/11 attacks profoundly shaped Fiermonte’s career decisions. One year after the attacks, he became an intelligence research specialist with the U.S. Customs Service. In that role, he helped establish interagency field intelligence support teams with the U.S. Coast Guard to secure the maritime sector. He continues to use some of those contacts in his current role as chief intelligence officer for HSI Newark.
Andrew Goldstein
Group supervisor
On Sept. 11, 2001, Goldstein was an Immigration and Naturalization Service agent at the New York office. His team was scheduled to qualify with their firearms at Camp Smith in northern Westchester, New York.
During the qualification course, the officer calling the range repeatedly paused to listen to the news in the background. Suddenly, everyone’s pagers went off simultaneously. One agent called in to find out what had happened.
“When we heard that the World Trade Center had been hit, we packed up the range and immediately drove south toward Manhattan,” Goldstein said. “We did not get far before we saw the smoke, which became thicker as we neared the city. A black fog covered everything.”
Goldstein also worked as a paramedic for a local health system in New York City. While waiting for instructions, his hospital pager went off, calling for medics to cover shifts; many personnel were per-diem workers who held full-time jobs as firefighters, police officers and EMTs.
He contacted the command center, explaining that although his first responsibility was to the INS, he could provide medical help. He was allowed to work an overnight shift on an ambulance.
On his way to work, the highways were closed. Gray and black smoke permeated the atmosphere, and the streets were eerily quiet.
As he worked on the ambulance that night, Goldstein saw “gray ghosts” emerging from subway stations — people still trying to make their way home.
“We talked about our co-workers who no one could get in contact with,” Goldstein recalled. “We spent the shift trying to process what had happened.”
As an INS agent, Goldstein worked overnight security shifts at the Javits Center, the United Nations and his temporary office.
“We saw the still-smoldering remains of the Trade Center complex, breathing in smoke every night. This went on for several weeks,” he said.
One night, Goldstein and his partner were called in early to pick up a driver from the Nassau County Police Department; he’d been a “tour guide” for one of the 19 hijackers. Goldstein remembers taking him into custody and driving him to Manhattan for processing and prosecution.
The number of people Goldstein knew who were missing grew overwhelming: His college roommate, a high school friend who worked for the New York City Fire Department, and multiple paramedic colleagues who were police officers and firefighters. They were all gone.
Goldstein did not return to the World Trade Center until 2019.
“There are many stories from that time. Some good, some not so much. Much of it is hard to process then and now,” he said.