see also: in May 2008:   Deputy Chief of the Border Patrol Announces State of the Agency   CBP Celebrates Significant Occasions at Advanced Training Center in West Virginia   CBP to Issue New Frequent Traveler Cards   Ecstasy and Methamphetamine Seized at Ambassador Bridge   CBP Races to Secure NASCAR’s Monster Mile   CBP Air and Marine Agents Interdict Migrants in Florida at the Start of Memorial Day Weekend   Border Patrol Agents Rescue 51 Illegal Aliens from Tractor Trailer ...more on cbp.gov:   CBP News Releases   Press Officers   U.S. Border Patrol

contacts for this news release

Edinburg, Texas – U.S. Border Patrol national recruiters are conducting an intensive recruiting event on Wednesday, May 21 at the Headquarters, Rio Grande Valley Sector, 4400 South Expressway 281, Edinburg, Texas, from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.

The Border Patrol is searching for qualified men and women in the Edinburg area to join their ranks in U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the largest law enforcement agency in the country.

To fulfill a June 2006 presidential mandate, the Border Patrol stepped up recruiting efforts to hire 6,000 additional agents by the end of 2008. Since then, CBP has increased its number of Border Patrol agents on board by over 3,500, for a current total of 16,176 agents now serving.

On Wednesday, on-site recruiters will offer:

• Answers to applicant questions
• Application assistance and online application submission
• Test taking tips, practice testing, and evaluation
• Accounts of their career experiences protecting our nation's borders

What a Border Patrol Agent Recruit Can Expect
Training is paid for Border Patrol recruits who earn between $36,000 and $46,000 in their first year, with the potential of earning up to $70,000 per year within three years of service. Other benefits include federal health insurance, life insurance and retirement.

Successful Border Patrol candidates will complete a rigorous screening process, which includes a written examination and structured interview, language aptitude or Spanish proficiency test, along with a physical fitness test and medical examination.

Candidates hired for the position complete a 55-day basic training academy upon successfully passing a Spanish proficiency exam in the academy; all others will complete a 40-day Spanish immersion course upon completing basic training. All training is conducted in Artesia, NM.

Initial assignments will be in Arizona, California, New Mexico or Texas.

Border Patrol Snapshot
The Border Patrol is specifically responsible for patrolling the 6,000 miles of Mexican and Canadian international land borders and 2,000 miles of coastal waters surrounding the Florida Peninsula and the island of Puerto Rico.

One of the most important activities of a Border Patrol agent is line watch. This involves the detection, prevention and apprehension of terrorists, undocumented aliens and smugglers of aliens or illegal goods at or near the land border.

For recruiting event information, dial toll free (877) 277-9527 or call the Rio Grande Valley Sector Recruiting Office at (956) 289-4934. And you can also apply online at the Border Patrol website. ( U.S. Border Patrol )

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.