The Freer border crossing station is located in central Texas, which makes it one of the most important stations in the region. Although the Freer border station is not located anywhere near the border that the United States of America shares with the country of Mexico, the station’s importance relies on the fact that it acts as a secondary line of defense against illegal immigration and drug trafficking- the two largest problems on the southern border with Mexico.
Border patrol jobs at the Freer station offer plenty of exciting opportunities to work with local law enforcement, the community and with federal agencies like the United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency and the Department of Homeland Security. The terrain covered by the Freer station includes about 6,400 square miles of rugged desert territory.
Major Traffic Corridors
Freer, in many ways, is the intersection of major trade corridors that go from Mexico, through Texas, and then out into the rest of the country. Freer is located at the intersection of four major trade routes, including United States Highway 281, Highway 59, State Highway 16 and State Highway 44. These routes are all certified North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) routes, and therefore border agents must have a thorough knowledge of national and international trade laws- especially is they are enlisted to inspect cargo and freight vehicles.
The major traffic corridors also mean that the Freer area is prone to illegal immigration, human trafficking and drug smuggling. In 2010, 38,053 illegal immigrants were detained in the Laredo sector of the CBP, of which the Freer station is part of. That number was nearly three times larger in 1999, but the increase in border patrol agent positions after September 11 has acted as a deterrent to illegal immigration.
Ranch and Brush Patrol Responsibilities
The secondary border patrol jobs at the Freer station is to monitor mostly deserted ranch and brush desert areas. These areas are prime ground for illegal immigration and drug smuggling because there is so much land and not many border agents patrolling it. Gun smuggling has also become a big problem on the Mexico- U.S. border because of increased violence from Mexican drug cartels across the border.
The Freer border station has a canine unit, an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) unit, a Border Patrol search unit, a Trauma and Rescue team and a prosecutions unit.