The history of the United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency in Orlando, FL goes back to 1950. At this time, the city of Orlando was a small hamlet that did not even come close to resembling the sprawling home to Universal Studios and Disney World, which is what it is now. This popular tourist destination draws many people from all around the world to the metropolitan area, which is why it is necessary for the border patrol to have a presence in the area.
When the Orlando station was first built, it was primarily used as a law enforcement support team to help enforce laws in the numerous airfields located in the central part of Florida state. At the time, the air fields were used as trafficking avenues from Cuba and other countries in Latin America. Eventually, the border patrols jobs available at the Orlando station went on to include the searching of buses and trains that travel through the area on their way to Miami going south, and on their way up the east coast to the north.
When trafficking activity died down during the mid ‘50’s, the Orlando station was closed and all of the officers were transferred to a new station in Daytona Beach. A CBP station would not return to the city of Orlando until 1971 when it really started to become a major international tourist destination in the area.
The Main Priorities of the Orlando Station
The Orlando station covers the ground of six counties, some of which are the largest in the state outside of the Miami-Dade area. The station is responsible for monitoring more than 5,600 miles of territory, on which more than 2.7 million reside, according to the United States Census. The territory includes 127 miles of coastline, two major international airports and a major shipping terminal in Cape Canaveral, Florida.
Border Patrol Careers in Orlando
The border patrol jobs in Orlando are numerous and the responsibilities are varied depending on which area the agent works in. These different jobs also each have unique training requirements.
Agent: The border patrol agents are responsible for the law enforcement duties, which include collaboration with local police in the apprehension of illegal immigrants. These agents also help out with surveillance and the capturing of suspected smugglers in all their forms.
Criminal Investigator: These agents are responsible for carrying out often difficult investigations and inquiries. This can include the arrest of illegal immigrants and drug smugglers, human traffickers and other criminals that may be trying to cross the border to commit crimes in the United States.
Deportation Officers: The responsibilities of this border patrol job in Orlando requires agents to go through the deportation process of illegal immigrants and the transportation of them back to their home country.