Luis and Hector Vargas, newly sworn San Jose, California, police officers, have taken things on as a family their whole lives, and now the brothers joined the police force together, KPIX-TV noted.
The brothers, who come from a household of five sons in Central Valley, are among the latest recruits to be sworn in as officers with the department, the San Jose Mercury News reported.
The two were born only a year apart and both graduated from California State University in Fresno with criminology degrees.
They both also worked tirelessly to pay for their studies, taking stints at McDonalds, a dairy farm, and picking fruit in the fields around their hometown of Visalia.
"We're going to go farther if we do it together," Luis Vargas, 26, said of their brotherhood, according to the Mercury News. "We're always helping each other out."
Hector Vargas first wanted to become a law-enforcement officer, and after some prompting, his brother followed suit.
"I didn't want to do it alone," Hector Vargas said. "I kind of lured him in."
During their training at the academy, there were times when both of them struggled, but they lifted each other up.
"There were plenty of times where it was like, 'This is pretty hard,' " Hector Vargas said, according to the Mercury News. "It was a huge relief having my brother helping me get through it."
Earlier this month, the brothers received their badges at their graduation ceremony and it was only fitting that their Mexican immigrant parents were there to proudly pin them for their sons, KPIX said.
"My father and mother get worried. They know this job can come with a price," Luis Vargas said. "But as long as we do our work and have each other's backs — not just my brother, but with our fellow partners — we'll be just fine."
Hector Vargas agreed with his brother.
"We're basically making it a family business," he said.
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.