The Ajo Border Patrol Station in Arizona is part of the Tucson Sector of the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Unit of the United States Department of Homeland Security. Border patrol and U.S. Customs careers in Ajo, Arizona involve patrolling 7,000 square miles and 64 miles of international border shared with Mexico. Much of the area under the responsibility of agents in the Ajo Border Patrol Sector is made up of environmentally protected lands including the Tohono O’Odham Nation, the Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, Bureau of Land Management lands, the Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge, and the Barry M. Goldwater Bombing Range.
Border Crimes in Ajo, Arizona
Ajo Border Patrol Agents are kept busy with many crimes being committed in their border patrol area. Border crimes in Ajo, Arizona include:
- The seizure of 1500 pounds of marijuana , worth $765,500, in April 2012
- Three separate marijuana seizure incidents occurred in Ajo in February 2012:
- The seizure of 1845 pounds of marijuana, worth $922,500
- The seizure of 781 pounds of marijuana, worth $390,500
- The seizure of 699 pounds of marijuana, worth $349,500
Border Crossings in Ajo, Arizona
The Lukeville Port of Entry lies 27 miles south of the headquarters of the Ajo Border Patrol Station at the international border shared by the United States and Mexico. This is the main border crossing in the Ajo, Arizona area.
Border Patrol Job Titles in Ajo, Arizona
The Ajo Border Patrol Station’s area is vast and remote drawing on specialized Border Patrol training. The surrounding area includes both rocky terrain and desert. For this reason, Border Patrol Agents responsible for patrolling the area must use horses, their own two feet, motorcycles, and all terrain vehicles to propel them across the land. Border Patrol jobs in Ajo involve the use of night vision equipment and ground sensors to help track illegal aliens attempting to cross the border or smugglers attempting to pass drugs and other contraband across the border.
CBP Air and Marine has a large presence in the Ajo area, with Air Interdiction Agents employed to keep surveillance on the land from the skies. Canine Coordinators may also be employed in the Ajo Border Patrol Station, to manage teams of Border Patrol Agents working with dogs who sniff out drugs and other contraband before it crosses the border from Mexico into the United States.