According to the U.S. International Boundary Commission, Arizona has a 373-mile-long border with the Mexican state of Sonora. The border belongs to neither country and is described as a cultural buffer zone for both nations. The Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has six fully staffed ports of entry along the Sonora border supporting border patrol jobs and U.S. Customs careers in these Arizona cities:
- Douglas (Mexican town of Agua Prieta)
- Lukeville (Sonoyta)
- Naco (Naco)
- Nogales (Nogales)
- San Luis (Rio Colorado)
CBP officers accept entries of merchandize, collect duties and enforce customs and immigration laws at all of these sites, but only Nogales is also a service port where CBP officers conduct a full range of cargo processing functions.
Arizona ports of entry and stations are in U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Tucson and Yuma sectors. CBP statistics show that these sectors, taken together, employed 5,208 agents and CBP officers during 2011.
Border patrol professionals in these locations were responsible for 129,118 apprehensions and 254 rescues. In addition they confiscated 1,070,451.61 pounds of marijuana and 428.49 pounds of cocaine.
Border Patrol Job Requirements in Arizona
In addition to the international ports of entry, Arizona has CBP stations located in Phoenix, Tucson, the Scottsdale Airport and the Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport. A fee is charged for the use of CBP services at both airports.
The border patrol jobs found at these Arizona facilities include:
- CBP Agents and Officers are on the front line for preventing terrorists, their weapons and undocumented aliens from entering the U.S. While the position of CBP Officer generally requires border patrol or other law enforcement experience, CBP Agent is an entry-level career. Applicants must be U.S. citizens, possess a valid driver’s license, speak Spanish, and be able to pass an entrance exam, physical fitness test, polygraph, drug test and background investigation.
- Agricultural Specialists enforce federal, state and local laws dealing with the admissibility of agricultural commodities in order to prevent the admission of harmful pests, plant diseases or potential agro-terrorism.
- Import Specialists classify and appraise commercially imported merchandise. Recruits are required to take seven weeks of specialized U.S. Customs and Border Patrol training. CBP import specialists are responsible for preventing the smuggling of illegal drugs or contraband items like rare artifacts or counterfeit watches.
- Air and Marine Interdiction Agents strive to detect and prevent the illegal entrance by air or water of terrorists, weapons, contraband merchandise or undocumented persons.
Applying for a CBP Job in Arizona
Arizona is indeed a fine place to begin a career as one of the proud and dedicated border patrol members. The first step is to call 1-866-318-9151 or e-mail tca-recruiter@cbp.dhs.gov to ask for an appointment to take the written test that starts the recruiting process. Applicants will be asked a few questions to determine whether they meet the basic qualifications to take the test and then given an appointment for a scheduled exam.
To learn more about how to become a border patrol agent in Arizona, click here.