Border Patrol jobs in Texas are available in the small town of Presidio, which has a population of about 5,000. Described as a place perfect for those who enjoy the outdoors, Border Patrol Agents here are responsible for line watch and roving patrols of the huge area the Presidio station covers. Additionally, careers for Air Interdiction Agents can be started here, as these skilled pilots are needed to cover the vast expanse of this border region.
In 2011 President Obama declared plans to build a border fence in Presidio, which is only considered “basically finished,” because of the high estimated cost of the project. As a result, Border Patrol Agents must be all the more alert to illegal crossings of the open frontier. Careers for Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Officers are also available, as there is a need to process traffic crossing at the border checkpoint.
The border crossing itself is a bridge that stretches across the Rio Grande. The crossing is open twenty four hours for cars and pedestrians, and is also available for commercial vehicle crossing. Presidio’s sister city across the border is the small town of Ojinaga, Mexico. The closest major U.S. city to Presidio is El Paso, Texas, located about 240 miles away. Perhaps because of its isolation, in 2011 Presidio authorities filed zero reports of murders, rapes, or robberies. However a low rate of violent crime does not mean people will not try to smuggle drugs, as evidenced by the continued demand for border patrol jobs in Presidio, Texas.
Stopping Creative Drug Smugglers in Presidio, Texas
In October 2012 CBP Officers uncovered an unusual plot to smuggle 124 pounds of marijuana, packed very tightly into metal collars custom-fitted inside the inflated tires of a passenger car. The vehicle was chosen for a secondary exam at the border crossing, and after inspecting the tires physically as well as with a density scanner, it was determined they were concealing something. CBP Officers then drilled into one of the tires and discovered a substance that tested positive for marijuana.
Air Interdiction Agent Job Requirements
Agents monitor, detect, track, and intercept people and vehicles involved in the illegal trafficking of drugs, weapons, and persons through transit, source, and arrival zones. The tools at the disposal of the Air Interdiction Agent include UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, Astar helicopters, and C-12, C-210, and long-range P-3 Orion fixed-wing aircraft. P-3s fly air monitoring and detection missions in suspected illegal narcotics source and transit zones.