By Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com In a rare show of force, Border Patrol agents fired warning shots from a Blackhawk helicopter to stop a panga boat that authorities suspected was smuggling drugs off the San Diego coast, the Associated Press reports. The boat was spotted by the Coast Guard, and men were spotted throwing what authorities…
By Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com A former Border Patrol agent who laundered drug money was sentenced to two years in prison Thursday, the Arizona Daily Star. Raimundo Borjas was convicted of money laundering after trying to conceal $61,600 in deposits. After he’s released from prison, Borjas was ordered to spend three years of supervision and to…
By Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com Ever consider scouring the border for terrorists and drug dealers? CBP is hiring for Border Patrol agent positions in Texas, New Mexico and Arizona. Applicants will undergo a rigorous screening process and must meet physical demands of the job, KVIA reports. Applicants must meet the following requirements: You must be a…
By Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com Drones have long been criticized by privacy advocates as an overreach of law enforcement. Turns out, they’re also wildly expensive to operate, according to a report by the Inspector General, The Washington Post writes. CBP spent at least $62.5 million on drones – or about $12,255 per (flight) mile. That is five…
The American Federation of Government Employees released a new video to show that Border Patrol agents are exposed to dangers from drug cartels and undocumented immigrants. The video includes candid interviews with agents about their close encounters. The AFGE represents more than 17,000 Border Patrol agents. Other Stories of Interest New Chairman of Homeland Security…
By Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com Assaults against Border Patrol agents dropped for the sixth year in a row in fiscal 2014, the Arizona Republic reports. The agency recorded 373 assaults against agents, a 20% decline over 2013. Of those, 366 occurred along the Southwest border. That represents a two-thirds drop since fiscal 2008. Although CPB has…
By Editorial Board Boston Globe Most Americans have a pretty firm idea of where the borders of the United States lie. But most are unaware that the federal government has an entirely different — and alarmingly far-reaching — definition of the nation’s boundaries when it comes to immigration enforcement. In fact, Customs and Border Protection…
By Steve Neavling ticklethewire.com A recruitment effort to hire more women into Border Patrol is paying off as CBP announced recently that it received applications from 5,500 female applicants, Federal News Radio 1500 AM. The agency’s ranks of 21,000 agents only include about 5% women. CBP wants more female agents, partly because more women are…
