I work on an Air Force Base about 80 miles north of the Mexico/US border as a civilian Security Forces member. Due to our proximity to the border, our range is a huge and well known trafficking route for both illegals and drugs. That being said, we work very close to Border Patrol and I.C.E. helping them out a lot.
I have been considering a potential career in Border Patrol or ICE lately, and was wondering what kind of information the individuals on here that work for either agency can give me? I know what I see, but pretend I dont know anything, and treat me like Im an idiot just incase theres any confusion on my part that should be cleared up.
Here are some questions I’d like answered:
-Aside from the obvious and apparent, what does each agency do exactly? Pretend I know nothing…
-Which is generally better to work for in your honest opinion?
-Are both agencies basically the same geographically? (ie the area you have to live to work for them)
-What are the hiring/minimum requirements and policies like for each agency? Whats involved? (ie written test, polygraph, psychological test, physical, background, etc?) Are they basically the same or is one harder than the other?
I don’t have any viable information to give you other than check out the agency websites (sorry thats really crappy help to give). But since you work on an Airforce Base check out the Career/Job Fairs, I went to one right before I got out of the Marines on Camp Pendleton. Homeland Security had a HUGE trailer with recruiters all over it, they were taking applications and resumes and in a few cases hired people on the spot! My friend’s brother works for Border Patrol and he’s on BOTAC which is the Spec Ops side of Homeland Security. Says he loves it and it’s good money. If you speak Spanish thats always a big plus. Also check out the ABC show “Homeland Security” it gives you a glamorous view of what you would be doing in those agencies. Sorry if that isn’t what you are looking for, I’m sure there are members here who could definitely answer those questions. I figure I would try and point you in a general good direction… Good Luck!
Just wondering are you in NM? If you want to know anything you can not find at Honor First PM me and I will send you my cell number, I wil answer any questions that I can for you.
Thanks for that website. Its has a lot of good information but I just glanced over it. Ill give it a closer look when I can sit down long enough. If anyone has anymore information feel free to chime in.
My uncle retired from the BP several years ago (this in no way makes me a SME on anything). From what he said at the time, and I believe this is still true, the BP has one of the highest turnover rates due to the combination of a high frustration level with what they are doing and being actively mined by other federal agencies. This could, obviously, work out well for you if moving into another agency is part of your long-term plan.
We went to visit my uncle and his wife in CA around 1990. He took us down to the border is his POV, and what we saw was shocking. I’ll assume you know what it’s like living so close, but we literally saw hundreds, if not thousands, of illegals, already technically on US soil, standing at the top of a ridge waiting for darkness to cross. There were NO BP agents in sight. They are litterally outnumbered, under-funded and (due to some bad press of late) under-appreciated if not outright vilified.
All that said, with the right mindset and if it fits in your long-term career plans it may work for you.
Correct me if I am wrong. Did you not start a thread several months back about going into law enforcement? In that thread you stated that you had smoked marijuana ALOT not just experimented with it. I believe that there was possibly some other drug usage involved but I don’t remember the details.
BP agents have to succesfully pass a background check and drug use is a factor. A former team mate of mine has been a BP agent now for about 16 months and even with his clean background the check took a while. Not trying to shoot you down, but it’s the reality.
Yeah that was my thread. No other drug use though. Just marijuana. Also, I have never been in trouble for it. Never caught with it never sold it never had any record of me ever having anything to do with it. Just a bad decision I unfortunately made way too many times.
That being said im not worried about the background check. They won’t find anything.
The only thing that might hold me back is their drug use policy whatever that might be. Plenty of a gap between last usage and now. Also not sure if it matters but most of that usage was prior to the age of 18. I’ve heard that most agencies only care about your adult life.
You’re right it all depends on their policy and from what I know the Federal process is usally less forgiving than local and state LE agencies. I am not discouraging you, just wanted to point that out.
Last time around there was alot of good advice and criticism given and you may want to consider it.
Good Luck!
my bad