The primary function of Border Agents in Uvalde is the operation of a traffic checkpoint and freight train inspection. The town of Uvalde is in a strategic location, an hour’s drive from the U.S.-Mexico border, and about the only town in a radius of 50 miles in the Texas desert, with several highways passing through it. This makes train freight inspection and the traffic checkpoint very well placed. Uvalde is in one of the most popular corridors in the United States for trafficking illegal drugs smuggled in from Mexico.
Border Patrol Jobs in Uvalde: Traffic Checkpoint
Each day Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Officers will discover at least one person in possession of illegal drugs at their traffic checkpoint. Officers typically have thirty seconds to question commercial and passenger vehicle drivers when they stop. Dogs are on hand to assist in vehicle searches, and if the dogs alert to the presence of drugs or explosives, the vehicle will be referred to a secondary inspection. Also at the disposal of CBP Officers are instruments that detect nuclear weapons and vehicle density scanners.
Border Patrol Jobs in Uvalde: Field Canine Unit
Field Canine Units are put to the test everyday at the traffic checkpoint manned by CBP Officers from the Uvalde Station. Commonly known as “drug dogs,” Field Canines are specifically selected for their breed and intelligence. They will undergo months of training and can detect most kinds of drugs as well as explosives. Their sense of smell can also detect people, whether they be hidden in a boxcar or in need of search and rescue. Drug dogs can smell through containers such as backpacks or concealed compartments in vehicles.
In one instance a Field Canine Unit was able to detect 65 small packages of marijuana throughout a suspect’s vehicle in Uvalde, hidden underneath the upholstery, paneling, and seat cushions; basically anything that could be removed and replaced. In another instance Border Patrol Agents stopped two suspicious vehicles near Uvalde and after apprehending one of the drivers who fled on foot, discovered large duffel bags filled with bricks of marijuana. Despite layers of plastic and foil wrapping, Field Canine Units are still able to detect well-packaged drugs.
CBP Careers in Uvalde
Whatever specialty an agent would like to focus on, in most cases the first step is to apply to begin a career as a CBP Officer. There are a few basic job requirements the prospective officer must meet in order to begin a career with the CBP, those include:
- U.S. Citizen for at least three years
- Pass a drug and polygraph test
- Under 40 years old (with some exceptions)
- No domestic violence convictions
- Pass a thorough background check
- Possess a valid Driver’s License