see also: in April 2008:   U. S. Customs and Border Protection Seizes $1.3 Million Worth of Counterfeit Cigarettes   Border Patrol Launches Rhode Island Search   Two Weeks = Two Tons of Marijuana Seized at Arizona Port of Entry   CBP Officers in Texas Find $3 Million Worth of Dope in 'Empty' Sea Container   New Jersey CBP Officers Make $4 Million Heroin Candy Bar Bust   Border Patrol Agents Locate More Than Half Ton of Marijuana ...more on cbp.gov:   CBP News Releases   Press Officers Border Patrol Agent Online Application

contacts for this news release

Atlanta – The U.S. Border Patrol national recruiting team is conducting an intensive recruiting event on Saturday, May 3, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., at the Sheraton Atlanta Hotel at 165 Courtland Street, NE, Atlanta, GA 30303.

The Border Patrol is searching for qualified men and women 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.

This week, 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

Along with simultaneous recruitment events across the country, new outreach includes the second year of a NASCAR Nationwide Series Racing #28 car sponsorship, the launch of the Border Patrol Minority Recruitment Strike Team, and recruiting at U.S. military installations in the continental U.S. and abroad.

While all applicants are welcome, the recruiting team also considers the military as a fertile source for applicants, with the fact that veterans currently make up more than 25 percent of CBP’s workforce.

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, and up to 25 percent additional pay in overtime opportunities.

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, N.M.

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 apply online. ( Border Patrol Agent Online Application )

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.