Congresswoman Heather Wilson, First Congressional District of New Mexico

U.S. Border Patrol national recruiters are conducting an intensive one-day only recruiting event from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, May 31, at the Albuquerque Grand Airport Hotel, 2910 Yale Boulevard, SE, Albuquerque, NM 87106.

The Border Patrol is searching for qualified men and women in New Mexico to join its 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 more than 3,500, for a current total of 16,239 agents now serving.

On Saturday, 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, considering the fact that veterans currently make up more than 25 percent of CBP’s workforce.

What a Border Patrol Agent Recruit Can Expect

Border Patrol recruits 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. 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. 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 1-877-277-9527. Apply online at CBP.gov. ( 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.