Lying just 18 miles south of the Canadian border with a mountain range running down its east side, on a strait that connects to the Pacific Ocean, Bellingham would be a perfect place for someone to attempt to circumnavigate an official border crossing. And they do. As the saying goes, the need for Border Patrol jobs in Bellingham is as old as the border.
Whether it be by land, sea, or air, people coming from Canada have tried it when it comes to smuggling drugs. Border agents at the Bellingham Station additionally provide backup for local law enforcement officials. And because Bellingham is also a seaport, Border Patrol and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Officer jobs also involve inspecting incoming cargo.
Bellingham’s Legendary Smugglers’ Trail
Legal in the province of British Columbia and quite available, marijuana has traditionally been the major illegal commodity smuggled through Bellingham. Although recent laws enacted in Washington state allow for the recreational use of Marijuana, transporting it across the border is still strictly prohibited. Also in Canada, federal marijuana laws are less strict than in the U.S., and this provides an incentive for producers to grow the drug in the vast forests of British Columbia and then smuggle it into the United States.
Border Patrol Agents at the Bellingham Station are responsible for patrolling a portion of the Cascade Mountain Range that runs the length from Canada all the way through Mexico. In this range one also finds the Pacific Crest Trail, a well-known route for career drug traffickers.
Border Patrol jobs in Bellingham involve the use of helicopters, snowmobiles, and even snowshoes to track smugglers that are detected with strategically placed motion-sensor cameras along popular routes through the mountains. Border agents also have a choice of watercraft at their disposal to intercept and inspect suspect boats crossing the U.S.-Canadian maritime border.
Featured Customs and Border Protection Career in Bellingham: Import Specialist
Import Specialists are necessary to inspect and monitor materials being imported from foreign countries into the United States. There are many reasons for this necessity:
- To ensure products were legally produced and do not come from endangered or protected species of wood or animals
- To ensure the products are legal in the United States,
- To ensure products do not contain any harmful pests or fungi that could prove detrimental to U.S. industries
To qualify for U.S. customs jobs as an import specialist, the prospective candidate must meet the following minimum requirements:
- U.S. Citizen for at least three years
- Possess a bachelor’s degree in an appropriate field, have three years work experience, or both
- Work well independently and as part of a team
- Successfully complete a thorough background check and a drug test