United States Customs and Border Protection
United States Customs and Border Protection
United States Customs and Border Protection
Policing – CRJU102-2H2
Cameron Stanton
Bryant & Stratton College
Winter 2012
1
United States Customs and Border Protection
2
Abstract
United States Customs and Border Protection, part of the Department of Homeland
Security is the federal agency that patrols the borders of the United States and enforces
immigration, customs and trade regulations.
The United States Customs and Border Protection Agency is the largest federal law
enforcement agency as well as the second largest source of federal revenue in the United States.
United States Customs and Border Protection agents process imports/exports and combat
smuggling, terrorism and illegal immigration.
United States Customs and Border Protection agents arrest suspected terrorists and
human traffickers as well as other criminals who cross America's borders. I want to be a customs
agent for the United States Customs and Border Protection Agency.
.
United States Customs and Border Protection
3
The United States Customs and Border Protection Agency is part of America's front line
defense against terrorism and international crime. The United States Customs and Border
Protection Agency supervises international trade between America and other nations. The United
States Customs and Border Protection agency also supervises travel to and from the United
States. The United States Customs and Border Protection Agency is responsible for enforcing
United States immigration policy.
Many jobs can be found at United States Customs and Border Protection. Some of these
jobs are border patrol and customs agents as well as import and agriculture specialists. Border
patrol agents keep out illegal people and products by patrolling the national borders with Canada
and Mexico. Customs agents process legal foreign visitors at points of entry. Import specialists
process products coming into the United States. Agriculture specialists protect the United States
food supply from diseases by inspecting food that enters the United States.
I want to be a Customs Agent for United States Customs and Border Protection because I
do not like dangerous border protection duties and I dislike Agriculture. In addition to the
previous reason I do not like the import/export business because when the United States imports
more than it exports a problematic trade deficit results. One problem with trade deficits is they
can lead to a possible negative balance of payments which can lead to high national debt to other
countries and the loss of other nations faith in the American economy. The United States has the
largest trade deficit,highest level of externally held national debt and largest imbalance of
payments of any nation on earth.
In addition to the above reasons I want to be a customs agent for United States Customs
and border protection because I want to welcome foreigners to the United States and keep out
unwanted, unsafe and illegal people and substances.
United States Customs and Border Protection
4
In order to become a candidate for a position as a customs agent for United States
Customs and Border Protection I must pass many tests. The tests I am required to pass include a
written test, a general physical fitness test, the civil service exam, a medical exam, a drug test
and a polygraph exam. In addition I must possess 20/30 vision with or without glasses and go to
the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Artesia, New Mexico for 20 weeks of paid
training.
During training I will learn how to use firearms, inspect vehicles, track humans and use
telecommunications equipment. In addition to the previous requirements and prior to training I
must obtain a 4 year college degree in any subject but the Agency prefers a 4 year Criminal
Justice degree.
Once I become a customs agent I will earn $38,790 a year and my benefits will include
health and life insurance as well as a retirement pension plan similar to 401k plans. These
benefits will be provided by three federal programs. The three programs are the Federal
Employees Retirement System, the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program and the Federal
Employees Group Life Insurance Program. All of these federal programs are administered by the
United States Office of Personnel Management agency.
Having the ability to speak a second language is a huge advantage because not all people
that customs agents interact with will speak English. In addition to the other requirements
customs agents who are stationed near Mexico are required to speak Spanish.
Anyone age 40 or older is not eligible to be a customs agent and all customs agents face
mandatory retirement at age 60. Anyone under age 21 is too young to be a customs agent.
United States Customs and Border Protection
5
The law enforcement role of United States Customs and Border Protection includes
seizing contraband, checking passports, collecting import taxes and arresting illegal immigrants,
human traffickers and smugglers.
The counter terrorism role of United States Customs and Border Protection includes
inspecting imports/exports and gathering intelligence information as well as arresting suspected
terrorists and criminals who cross American borders.
On September 11, 2001 aka 9/11 Arab terrorists hijacked 4 US airplanes and used them
to destroy the World Trade Center in New York City and damage the Pentagon in Arlington
Virginia. One of the 4 airplanes was crashed into a field in Pennsylvania by the passengers who
managed to retake the airplane from the terrorists. The 9/11 attacks killed a total of almost 3,000
American citizens. All the people on the airplane that crashed in the Pennsylvania field were
killed in the crash.
Prior to 9/11 United States Customs and Border Patrol was two separate federal agencies
the United States Border Patrol under the United States Department of Justice and the United
States Customs Service under the United States Department of the Treasury.
After 9/11 the two agencies were merged into the recently formed cabinet level United
States Department of Homeland Security. The United States Customs and Border Protection
Agency was created on March 1st 2003 as an Agency under the United States Department of
Homeland security.
United States Customs and Border Protection
6
I feel that I am qualified to be a customs agent for the United States Customs and Border
Protection Agency because of my knowledge of many United States federal government policies.
Some areas of United States federal government policy that I know a lot about are immigration
and international business transactions.
I want to keep America free from the reach of terrorists. In addition to terrorism some of
the crimes I want to help prevent include human trafficking as well as the smuggling of drugs,
guns and other contraband. I want to be a customs agent for the United States Customs and
Border Protection Agency because I want to greet foreigners. The reason I want to greet
foreigners is because I want to show my homeland to all the people of the world.
In this era of terrorism having a solid defensive front line against threats is very
important. One vital part of America's front line defense against terrorism is the United States
Customs and Border Protection Agency. Other vital components of America's front line against
terrorism include the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Central Intelligence
Agency. Both of these agencies have different duties than the United States Customs and Border
Protection Agency but all 3 federal agencies help protect America from terrorist threats.
In conclusion, it is a complicated and lengthy process to become a customs agent for the
United States Customs and Border Protection Agency. I believe this to be a very worthwhile and
important job because it is vital to the security of the United States and the health and safety of
its citizens.
United States Customs and Border Protection
7
References
Retrieved from United States Customs and Border Protection website on February 7, 2012
http://www.cbp.gov/linkhandler/cgov/careers/customs_careers/officer/officer_fact_sheet.ctt/offic
er_fact_sheet.pdf
Retrieved from United States Customs and Border Protection website February 10 2012
http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/about/mission/guardians.xml
Retrieved from the Department of Homeland Security website on February 11 2012
http://www.dhs.gov/index.shtm
Both links retrieved from Wikipedia on February 11 and February 12, 2012
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Employees_Retirement_System
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Employees_Health_Benefits_Program
Retrieved from about.com on February 12, 2012
http://usgovinfo.about.com/od/governmentjobs/a/empbenefits.htm
Retrieved from the Federal Employees Group Life Insurance website February 12, 2012
http://www.opm.gov/insure/life/
Retrieved from Wikipedia on February 14 2012
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balance_of_trade
Retrieved from Wikipedia on February 14 2012
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Office_of_Personnel_Management#Function
United States Customs and Border Protection
Retrieved from Wikipedia on 22 2012
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balance_of_payments
Retrieved from Wikipedia on February 22 2012
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_external_debt
Retrieved from Wikipedia on March 6 2012
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artesia,_New_Mexico#Located_in_Artesia
Retrieved from Wikipedia on March 6 2012
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Department_of_Homeland_Security
Retrieved from the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center website on March 24 2012
http://www.fletc.gov/training/programs/artesia-fletc
Retrieved from Legal Criminal Justice schools.com on April 4 2012
http://www.legal-criminal-justice-schools.com/Criminal-Justice-Degrees/Customs-AgentCareer.html
Retrieved from The United States Customs and Border Protection Agency website on April 6
http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/careers/customs_careers/
Retrieved from the United States Customs and Border Protection Agency website on April 6
http://www.cbp.gov/linkhandler/cgov/newsroom/publications/trade/iius.ctt/iius.pdf
Retrieved from the United States Customs and Border Protection Agency website on April 6
http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/
Retrieved from the United States Customs and Border Protection Agency website on April 6
http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/border_security/bs/
Retrieved from the United States Customs and Border Protection Agency website on April 6
http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/about/mission/
Retrieved from the United States Customs and Border Protection Agency website on April 6
http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/trade/
8