Basham was asked about the impact of Operation Jump Start, a short-term measure and internal bridge with the National Guard that allows the Border Patrol to increase border security capabilities while additional Border Patrol agents are trained at the Border Patrol Academy in Artesia, New Mexico.

Commissioner Basham praised the operation and said that state and federal officials are on track to meet President Bush’s deadline this Tuesday to have 6,000 National Guard troops in place. In addition, he said that the Border Patrol will meet the recruitment goal of 6,000 new agents by 2008.

CBP foresees that Operation Jump Start could affect illegal activity between the ports, potentially displacing immigrant smuggling, drugs, and so on to legal border ports of entry. Already, CBP officials are stopping more people at the border who are trying to cross by using fake documents. The resulting higher scrutiny at the ports of entry could generate longer waits, says CBP.

On the first day of the Commissioner’s tour, July 26, he addressed the director of field operations (DFO) conference and toured the Bridge of the Americas.

On July 27, the Commissioner took a Border Patrol operational tour, with an aerial tour of Deming, the Santa Theresa Border Patrol station, Border Patrol Tactical Unit (BORTAC), the K-9 center, and the Border Patrol Field Intelligence Center (BORFIC).

On July 28, the Commissioner traveled to Artesia, New Mexico for a Border Patrol Academy change of command ceremony and Academy tour.

CBP Commissioner W. Ralph Basham meets with the heads of CBP's field offices in El Paso, Tex. on July 26.