The United States Border Patrol is one of the best federal police agencies in the world. It was established in May 28, 1924 under the Department of Labor to prevent the illegal entry of aliens into the United States. In 1940, the Border Patrol was moved from the Department of Labor to the Department of Justice. In 2003, because of the terrorist attacks on the world trade towers of New York in September 11, 2001, the Border Patrol was again moved under the newly formed Department of Homeland Security (Border Patrol History; cbp.gov.).
The mission of the United States Border Patrol under the Department of Homeland Security changed. It is the mission of the United States Border Patrol to protect the Borders of the United States between the Ports of Entry to prevent the illegal entry of aliens, smugglers of aliens, controlled substances and terrorists. Border Patrol agents use 4x4 vehicles, ATVs, horse patrol, boat patrol, helicopters, aerial drones, sensitive technological equipment such as night vision, sensors, long range scopes to prevent illegal entries. The United States Border Patrol makes more arrests than any other federal, state or local agency (364,000 persons arrested according to CBP homepage).
The Border Patrol's second line of defense includes permanent checkpoints on main highways leading away from the border. These checkpoints are manned twenty four hours a day seven days a week and three hundred and sixty five days. The Border Patrol Agents use specially trained canines to detect smuggled aliens, marijuana, cocaine, heroine and other controlled substances. As a result the Border Patrol has the largest amount of seizures of controlled substances when compared to other federal, state or local agencies. (5,900 pounds of cocaine and 2.2 million pounds of marijuana; CBP homepage).
Currently, the Border Patrol in the McAllen Sector which includes Border Patrol Stations in Rio Grande City, McAllen, Weslaco, Harlingen, and Brownsville, Texas, is facing a crisis due to a large number of women and children crossing the border illegally and surrendering to Border Patrol Agents (290 people surrender to Border Patrol near Granjeno, The monitor newspaper 6/18/14).
