History
The West Palm Beach Border Patrol Station was first established in 1927 with one officer assigned to the station. The work consisted primarily of apprehending deserting crewmen attempting to obtain work in area resorts and hotels. Smuggling from the Bahamas was also a major factor, particularly during the days of prohibition. In 1928, a Chief Patrol Inspector briefly had his Headquarters in West Palm Beach. During World War II, the station was augmented with additional personnel to address enforcement problems by way of vessel. In addition, station activities included traffic checks to assist in the anti-spy-saboteur program, as well as to halt illegal flights by private aircraft to and over Cuba for the purpose of dropping leaflets or causing harm in Cuba.

Area of Responsibility
The West Palm Beach Border Patrol Station’s area of responsibility consists of eight counties. They are Palm Beach, Martin, St. Lucie, Indian River, Highlands, Okeechobee, Glades and Hendry Counties, which consist of 8,660 square miles of land and 119 miles of Atlantic Ocean coastline. There are seven inlets located in the West Palm Beach Border Patrol Station’s area of responsibility which facilitate access from the Atlantic Ocean via the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW). Five of the inlets are accessible only by small craft, while two--the Lake Worth Inlet and the Ft. Pierce Inlet--are accessible by larger vessels, such as commercial cargo ships and small cruise ships. The proximity of the Bahamas and surreptitious activity originating from Bahamian territories to the United States continues to be of major focus to the West Palm Beach Station. There are over 700 Bahamian islands, the closest being the West End, Grand Bahamas, which lies about 60 miles from U.S. shores.