Border Patrol

Border Patrol

While there was a border patrol before 1924 the official function for the officers wasn't put before them until Congress passed the Labor Appropriation Act of 1924, officially establishing the U.S. Border Patrol for the purpose of securing the borders between inspections stations ( "History").

While the border patrol has changed radically over the last 75 years its mission has stayed the same, "to detect and prevent the illegal entry of aliens into the United States" ("Overview"). Today over 11,000 agents are employed with the task of patrolling the Canadian and Mexican borders which is nearly 6,000 miles. They are also charged with protecting 2,000 miles of coastal waters surrounding the Florida Peninsula and the island of Puerto Rico.

All Border Patrol agents spend 19 weeks in training at the Border Patrol Academy in Artesia, New Mexico, which is a component of the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center.

Since 1994, the Border Patrol has made more than 15.6 million apprehensions nationwide. In FY 2005, Border Patrol Agents made almost 1.2 million arrests of people for illegally entering the country. An increase in smuggling activities has pushed the Border Patrol to the front line of the U.S. war on drugs. It's role as the primary drug-interdicting organization along the Southwest border continues to expand. In FY 2005, Border Patrol Agents seized more than 12,300 pounds of cocaine and more than 1.2 million pounds of marijuana. The total street value of drugs interdicted in FY 2005 was more than $1.4 billion.

"History of the Border Patrol." cbp.gov

"Overview of the Border Patrol" cbp.gov