U.S Customs and Border Protection

The U.S Customs and Border Protection is a division of Homeland Security which enforces customs and immigration, trade, and U.S regulations. They have one main priority, suppress terrorism in the United States, but on the side they try to stop people into entering our homeland illegally. They also try to stop weapons and drugs from entering the country illegally.

U.S Customs
The Customs job is to guard the points of entry's (Airports, docks, etc.) with patrols and screenings. If a tactical approach to a stituation is needed, they have a Special Response Team which can handle they situation. They have field agents and detectives to ensure terrorism isn't a problem in America. They also try to stop smugglers from bringing contraban into the U.S.

U.S Border Patrol
The Border Patrol has to watch and patrol 1,900 miles of border along the American/Mexican and American/Canadian border. They try to make sure illegal immigrants don't enter the country and to suppress smuggling of weapons, drugs, and people on the border.

History
The U.S Customs and Border Protection was formed on July 31 to guard the ports, and about 125 years later, in 2003, they joined the Department fo Homeland Security and have much more tasks.

They also played a part in many wars, like after WWI when they tried to lower the amount of immigrants entering the country mostly out of Europe because of the unwanted and growing population.

In the 21 Century, illegal aliens were attempting to enter the U.S, and many succeeded, so border protection really got serious and so did the Border Patrol. They improved their force, equipment, and agents.

In 2006, W. Ralph Basham was promoted to commissioner until 2010 when Alan Bersin was promoted by President Obama.

Employees
They have a total of over 58,000 agents, but they use the agents in a variety of ways to help keep America safe. The U.S Customs an Border Protection has:
 * 21,180 agents to screen people at over 300 points of entry
 * 2,200 agriculture specialists to find pesticides and disease in food shipped from other countries. They also look for reasons to believe there might be bio or agro terrorists
 * 23,020 Border Patrol Agents to guard 1,900 miles of border and stop immigrants from entering the country illegally on ground, water, and air.
 * 2,500 agents to work at the point of entry's and to collect over 30 billion dollars ever year from people who pass the point of entry's
 * More canines than any federal law enforcement agency in the U.S which are used on the 74 border points and the 73 commercial points of entry.

High Ranking Employees

 * Thomas S. Winkowski is the head of The Office of Field Operations
 * Michael J. Fisher is the head of the Border Patrol
 * Michael C. Kostilenk is the head of the Office of Air and Marine
 * Allen Gina is the head of the Office of International Trade
 * Charles Armstrong is the head of the Office of Information and Technology
 * Eugene Schied is the head of the Office of Administration
 * Patrica M. Duffy is head of the Office of Training and Development
 * James Tomsheck is head of Internal Affairs
 * Donna Bucella is the head of the Office of Intelligence and Investigation Liaison

Links
Border Patrol:


 * Border Patrol Equipment


 * Border Patrol Awards


 * Border Patrol Ranks


 * Border Patrol Vehicles


 * Border Patrol Divisions

U.S Customs:


 * U.S Customs Ranks


 * U.S Customs Vehicles


 * U.S Customs Equipment