One of the top officials at the U.S. Marshals Service has been placed on administrative leave pending an internal investigation over his alleged involvement in a racist incident targeting a Black colleague, sources familiar with the matter told WTX US News.

Peter Marketos, the assistant director of the Investigative Operations Division, was relieved of his duties after he was allegedly involved in an incident in which a watermelon was left on the desk of a deputy assistant director, who is Black.  That employee worked directly under Marketos in the same division, the sources said.

It was not immediately clear what prompted the incident — which some deputies are calling “watermelon-gate.” It was also not immediately clear whether Marketos placed the fruit himself, or if it was placed by someone else under his supervision. 

“The U.S. Marshals Service takes seriously any allegation of misconduct by USMS personnel,” a spokesperson said.

“The alleged actions do not reflect the core values of the USMS: Justice, Integrity and Service.  While we recognize the public interest in transparency and accountability, federal privacy laws prohibit discussion of personnel matters.”

WTX US News has reached out to Marketos and the target of the alleged incident for comment.

The allegations have raised new questions about accountability and workplace dynamics within the leadership ranks of the federal law enforcement agency, housed under the Department of Justice. Watermelon imagery has a long history of use in derogatory racial stereotypes against Black Americans.

Internally, the incident has sparked concern among deputy marshals, who believe it is beneath the Marshals Service and reflects disturbing racist behavior that should not be tolerated, the sources added.

Marketos’ bio on the website has since been removed, and he is expected to be terminated, one of the sources said. 

Staff at the U.S. Marshals Service were informed in a brief email last week that Don Snider would assume leadership of the Investigative Operations Division on Monday, Nov. 9, according to a source familiar with the personnel change. 

Marketos is a veteran of the Marshals Service and previously held a number of prominent leadership positions during his more than two decades with the agency. He began his career as a deputy U.S. marshal in 2002 and he subsequently oversaw sex offender investigations, fugitive apprehensions and tactical operations.

In March 2023, Marketos was assigned to be acting U.S. marshal for the District of Columbia, before being named assistant director of the Investigative Operations Division later the same year. Nearly three years later, he was also designated acting U.S. marshal for the Eastern District of Virginia. Marketos has previously served as acting associate director for investigations and testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee in September 2025 about the federal law enforcement task force operating in Washington, D.C.

The Investigative Operations Division oversees some of the Marshals Service’s core law enforcement functions, including fugitive investigations and the agency’s efforts to track and arrest wanted criminals.

Marketos’ sister, Rose Marketos, is an agent at the FBI who was assigned to investigate the so-called “grand conspiracy” case that is probing whether Obama- and Biden-era intelligence officials conspired to keep President Trump out of office. The top federal prosecutor overseeing that investigation in South Florida announced his resignation last week.

Peter Marketos’ replacement, Snider, has long served in the Marshals Service. He previously held the title of chief inspector and commander of the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force, which coordinates efforts among federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to apprehend violent fugitives in the Washington metropolitan area.