NCJ Number
224969
Journal
Law and Order Volume: 56 Issue: 10 Dated: October 2008 Pages: 97-103
Date Published
October 2008
Length
7 pages
Annotation
This article describes the law enforcement role of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) border patrol agents with serving the Yuma Sector in Arizona.
Abstract
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) border patrol agents have more law enforcement authority than any other Federal law enforcement agency. CBP border patrol agents are required to have 3 years of verifiable work experience and are trained at the Border Patrol Academy in Artesia, NM. Their duties include the apprehension of terrorists, detection of terrorist activity and weapons of mass destruction, and the enforcement of immigration laws. They are empowered by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to apprehend for drug law violations, seize and arrest aliens in possession of firearms, and enforce all customs laws. The total length of the border separating the United States and Mexico is about 1,900 miles with CBP border patrol agents divided into 20 Border Patrol sectors. The Yuma Sector agents patrol 118 miles that lie between the Yuma-Pima County line in Arizona and the Imperial Sand Dunes in California. Agents in Yuma Sector use a variety of vehicles including all-terrain quads. This article describes day-to-day operations of the agents in Yuma Sector focusing on the authority imposed upon them in protecting the border.