The border patrol station in Gulfport, Mississippi was first established in 1927 by the United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency. During that time, and to this day, the Gulfport area was known as a popular stop for illegal aliens who had crossed the border from Mexico into Texas, and then traveled by boat down the Mississippi River to Gulfport and other nearby areas. Border patrol jobs in Gulfport, Mississippi primarily focus on the inspection of cargo ships in search of illegal immigrants and the smuggling of contraband and illegal products like counterfeit clothing and drugs (marijuana, cocaine and prescription pills being among the most common found by the Gulfport CBP.)
During the Great Depression, the Gulfport border crossing station was closed- as were most border patrol stations that were located in the interior regions of the country. Because the Gulfport border station does not actually have a border to monitor, it is seen as more of a second line of defense meant to catch offenders who somehow managed to elude border patrol officials at whatever border they managed to cross. Now, the Gulfport border station is responsible for monitoring all of the state of Mississippi and is the only border station located in the whole state. The large area that the station covers requires constant collaboration with law enforcement officials all across the state. It is categorized under the New Orleans sector of the CBP.
Patrolling the Mississippi River
The border patrol jobs in Gulfport, Mississippi are primarily focused on patrolling the major shipping routes along the Mississippi River, which is one of the largest and busiest interior shipping lanes on the entire North American continent. The constant coming and going of ships and crewmen makes it a prime area for illegal immigrants to travel further into the interior of the country, and thus less susceptible to being caught by border patrol agents (as there are more agents near the borders of Canada and Mexico, and not as many in places like the Midwest and the South.)
The main position in Gulfport is the role of the Marine Interdiction Agent, which stipulates very specific and intense training and education requirements. These border patrol jobs train agents to inspect cargo shipments and interview crewmen and boat captains in order to identify suspicious activity, such as human trafficking of illegal immigrants or the smuggling of illegal contraband, drugs and other items that are not legal in the United States.