MASSIVE HIRING FOR BORDER PATROL AGENT

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is recruiting Border Patrol Agents from across the country to work in the West and Southwest as part of a presidential hiring mandate.

Applications are being accepted on-line for jobs that pay between $36,000 and $46,000 in their first year, with the potential of earning up to $70,000 annually after three years on the job. The Border Patrol increased its workforce by 11 percent last fiscal year with roughly 5,000 hirings, to more than 50,000 employees.

Benefits include Federal health insurance, life insurance and pension and up to 25 percent additional pay through overtime opportunities.

Written Test, 8 Weeks of Training

Successful Border Patrol candidates will complete a rigorous screening process, which includes a written examination and structured interview, language aptitude or Spanish proficiency test, along with a physical fitness test and medical examination.

There will be a 55-day basic training program upon successfully passing a Spanish proficiency exam in the academy. All others will receive a 40-day Spanish immersion course upon completing basic training that is conducted in Artesia, New Mexico.

Initial assignments will be in Arizona, California, New Mexico and Texas for an "unprecedented number" of Border Patrol Agents to be hired as part of expanded recruiting efforts.

Applicants ages 18-39 are eligible. They must be U.S. citizens. There is no educational requirement. One year of professional experience, not necessarily in law enforcement, is required. A written examination and structured interview, along with a physical fitness test and medical examination, are part of the evaluation.

Hiring 300 by Year's End

Customs and Border Protections plans to hire 300 more Border Patrol Agents by the end of the year to meet the presidential mandate of hiring 6,000 new officers since 2006.

Applicants are urged to visit www.borderpatrol.gov to apply on-line and see agent testimonials. Recruiters strongly consider military service, as such candidates comprise 25 percent of the Customs and Border Protections workforce. Please call 1-877-277-9527 for more information.

The Border Patrol, which apprehended more than 1 million people in the last fiscal year, is specifically responsible for patrolling almost 7,000 miles of Mexican and Canadian international land borders. One of the most important activities of a Border Patrol Agent is line watch, which involves the detection, prevention and apprehension of terrorists, undocumented aliens and smugglers of aliens or illegal goods at or near the land border.