Ever wondered about the mission of the U.S. Customs & Border Protection (CBP)? If supporting CBP is your interest, a simple <border patrol> search on ClearanceJobs will provide a wide assortment of jobs and locations that require CBP knowledge or directly support the mission.
Understanding the Customs & Border Protection Mission
CBP is the law enforcement agency under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that is charged with the task of preventing terrorists or terrorist weapons from entering our U.S. borders. CPB has over 60,000 employees. While officers and agents are key, the agency also employs pilots, trade and agriculture specialists, forensic scientists, canine enforcement agents, mission support staff and more. The jobs are many, and the work is critical to U.S. safety.
Keeping terrorists and their weapons out of the U.S. is just one component of CBP’s work. They also play a vital role in enforcing U.S. regulations, import duties, and immigration laws. CBP also fights to keep harmful pests, illegal drugs, and contraband out of the U.S. In short, CBP’s job is to combine customs, immigration, border security, and agricultural protection into one coordinated agency, while keeping terrorists and weapons out of the U.S.
A Post/9-11, Post DHS Law enforcement Agency
CBP was formed 14 years ago in March 2003. Previously, jobs were scattered among various U.S. departments. The formation of CBP rolled those homeland security jobs under one umbrella.
CBP is headquartered in Washington D.C. However, the agency protects over 300 designated ports of entry into the U.S. Additionally, CBP conducts cargo inspections and monitors passengers flying into the U.S. CPB also works with the Department of Agriculture to screen high risk food shipments to fight against bioterrorism.
identifying and Apprehending Terrorist Threats Every Day
The idea behind CBP is simple. Post 9/11 life clarified the importance of communications between the U.S. agencies and the role that played in continuity of operations. According to CBP, on a typical day, they screen more than one million international travelers. And on a typical day securing our borders, they apprehend over 1,000 individuals for suspected crimes. And that’s just two components of their mission and role.
While it takes time to roll the work of multiple agencies into one umbrella, the threats against the U.S. are real and the work of CBP is needed. The role of customs, port inspections and regulations, and immigration has been around for 125 years. However, the terrorism threats are different than when our country was founded and require cohesive team to keep Americans safe. Politicians may bicker and fight, but agencies like CBP make sure Americans are only subject to their own drama and not the devastating effects of terrorism.
