Located 55 miles east of the major border crossing in Laredo, Texas, the border patrol station in Hebbronville is a integral piece of the border patrol puzzle in that region on the United States of America. Established by the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency in 1924, the Hebbronville border crossing station is generally regarded as one of the first ones to open up when the CBP was created in 1924.
The station was re-located in a brand new building in 203 and is located right on the major trade route of State Highway 359. The station patrols 2,370 miles of territory, which is rugged and mountainous desert land. The territory spans three separate counties and therefore requires quite a bit of collaboration between local law enforcement agencies and community groups, as well as national and federal agencies of all sorts. Because of the rugged nature of the territory that Hebbronville agents must monitor, use of all-terrain vehicles (ATV) is usually the preferred method of surveillance.
Areas of Responsibility
Checkpoints: Border patrol jobs in Hebbronville, TX vary from one position to the next. Many border patrol agents are responsible for manning 24-hour check points along the major routes on Farm-to-Market Road 1017, State Highway 16 and State Highway 359. The Farm-to-Market Road is especially significant because it goes through the Rio Grande Valley, which is a major hub for illegal immigration, human trafficking and drug and gun smuggling. Other major duties that take place at the checkpoints are freight and cargo inspections, roving patrols, sign-cutting and occasionally making traffic stops when suspicious activity occurs.
The Kansas City Freight Train: Hebbronville is the first stop on this freight train route, which eventually winds up in Corpus Christi, Texas. This train is a major source of illegal immigration from Mexico into the United States, and therefore there are many border patrol jobs in Hebbronville dedicated to inspecting every car on the freight train every time it stops in town. In 2005, 15 illegal immigrants were apprehended on the train. 12 more were apprehended on one day in 2012.
Canine Unit: The Hebbronville border crossing station has a very strong canine unit presence. The canines are used to identify illegal drugs and other contraband that is attempting to be smuggled into the country. Common narcotics include marijuana, cocaine, heroine, prescription drugs and crystal methamphetamine.