What We Do
CBP’s priority mission is to prevent terrorists and terrorist weapons from entering the United States and ensuring the security of our nation at America's borders and ports of entry. We must maintain this line of defense while allowing legitimate travel and trade that is vital to our economy and way of life.

CBP is responsible for apprehending individuals attempting to enter the United States illegally; stemming the flow of illegal drugs and other contraband; protecting our agricultural and economic interests from harmful pests and diseases; protecting American businesses from theft of their intellectual property; and regulating and facilitating international trade, collecting import duties, and enforcing U.S. trade laws. ( On a Typical Day in Fiscal Year 2011, CBP... (pdf - 94 KB.) )

Types of Careers with CBP
In general, CBP has two categories of careers:

Our Frontline Law Enforcement and Mission Critical Occupations
Most of CBP’s workforce serves on the frontline.

• Over 20,000 Border Patrol Agents protect 1,900 miles of our border with Mexico and 5,000 miles of our border with Canada. ( Border Patrol Agent )
• More than 20,000 CBP Officers ensure the Nation’s safety by screening passengers and cargo at over 300 ports of entry. ( CBP Officer )
• Nearly 1,000 Air and Marine Interdiction Agents use their specialized training and high-tech equipment to prevent people, weapons, narcotics, and conveyances from illegal entry by air and water. ( Air & Marine )
• Over 2,200 CBP Agriculture Specialists work to curtail the spread of harmful pests and plant and animal diseases that may harm America’s farms and food supply, and to avert bio- and agro-terrorism.
• Nearly 2,500 employees in CBP revenue positions collect over $30 billion annually in entry duties and taxes through the enforcement of trade and tariff laws. These collections provide the second largest revenue for the U.S. Government. In addition, they fulfill the agency’s trade mission by appraising and classifying imported merchandise. These employees serve in positions such as import specialist, auditor, international trade specialist, and textile analyst. ( Import Specialist )

Operational and Mission Support Positions
CBP has 8,000 employees working in support of our frontline occupations. Below are only a few of the positions contributing behind the scenes.

• Operational support: intelligence research specialists, sector enforcement specialists, paralegals, and CBP Technicians.
• Mission support: IT specialists, management analysts, contract specialists, human resource specialists, mission support specialists, mechanics, budget analysts, purchasing agents, and security specialists.

You can see all current CBP vacancies by searching the USAJobs Web site. ( USAJobs )