Air Interdiction Agent (Pilot)

U.S. Customs and Border Protection; New York (NY); On-site; USD 107,000 - 152,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Polygraph examination

One-year probationary period

Job summary

U.S. Customs and Border Protection seeks an Air Interdiction Agent (Pilot: dual rated, airplane, or rotorcraft) to perform air patrols and interdict smuggling across borders.

You join the Federal Law Enforcement Officer profession with responsibilities spanning surveillance, intelligence gathering, and interagency collaboration. Applicants must hold FAA pilot certifications with instrument ratings and meet stringent flight-hour and medical requirements.

Qualifications

• Current FAA Commercial or ATP pilot certification with instrument rating for airplane and/or rotorcraft
• Pilot enter-on-duty minimum flight hours: 1,500; up to 500 hours may be waived down to 1,000 hours
• Documentation and medical clearance requirements.
• Age and veteran status considerations for eligibility

Responsibilities

• Conduct air patrols, surveillance and pursuit activities to interdict contraband
• Monitor suspect behaviour and vehicles for illegal activities
• Collect, refine and analyse strategic and tactical intelligence
• Search persons, vessels, baggage and cargo for contraband or weapons
• Operate aircraft systems during law enforcement missions
• Interdiction duties including liaison with other agencies

Skills

FAA pilot certs

Flight hours

Security clearance readiness

Law enforcement mindset

Job description

Job Description

About the Company

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is the world's largest civilian law enforcement organisation and the sole organisation responsible for securing the nation's borders from terrorism, human and drug smuggling, illegal migration and agricultural pests, while facilitating the flow of legitimate travel and trade.

Air and Marine Operations (AMO) has 74 locations, including branches and units, National Air Security Operations Centers and the Air and Marine Operations Center, and on a typical day conducts 212 enforcement hours at and beyond the border and within the nation's interior.

Role Overview

Air Interdiction Agent (Pilot: dual rated, or airplane, or rotorcraft). Applications are being accepted.

As an Air Interdiction Agent (AIA) you become a member of the Federal Law Enforcement Officer (LEO) profession, strengthening the Department's and its partners' ability to perform their homeland security functions.

Key Responsibilities

• Conduct air patrols, surveillance and pursuit activities related to the interdiction of smuggled contraband carried by land vehicles, aircraft or vessels
• Monitor behaviour patterns and activities of suspect persons, vehicles or vessels believed to be engaged in illegal activities
• Collect, refine and analyse strategic and tactical intelligence
• Search persons, vessels, baggage and cargo for contraband or weapons incidental to detention or arrest
• Operate aircraft systems while performing law enforcement missions
• Perform interdiction duties including intelligence gathering, detecting, intercepting, tracking, apprehending, testifying and acting as liaison with other federal, state, local, tribal and foreign law enforcement agencies
• Develop strategies to track aircraft, vessels and people for effective, successful interdiction
• Gather and share intelligence on illegal activities or potential acts of terrorism with internal customers, the general aviation and marine communities and other law enforcement agencies

Licences & Qualifications

• Current FAA Commercial or ATP pilot certification with one of the following rating combinations: Dual rated: airplane (single-engine land or multi-engine land) with instrument rating and rotorcraft helicopter with instrument rating
• Airplane rated: airplane (single-engine land or multi-engine land) with instrument rating
• Helicopter rated: rotorcraft helicopter with instrument rating
• Or an equivalent military rating at the time of application; eligibility based on military flight experience requires official orders, forms or logbooks showing status as a rated military pilot
• An FAA Class 1, FAA Class 2 or military medical flight clearance qualifies you to start the pre-employment process; an FAA Class 2 medical is required at the time of the flight assessment, and all medicals must be dated within the last 12 months
• Pilot enter-on-duty minimum of 1,500 flight hours; up to 500 hours may be waived, reducing the minimum to 1,000 hours
• 250 pilot-in-command hours
• 75 instrument hours
• 75 night hours
• Applicants may apply at 750 flight hours, but must then obtain at least 1,000 flight hours (depending on the number of hours approved for a waiver) at their own expense before attending the three-part flight assessment
• Age: you must be referred for consideration before your 40th birthday in accordance with Public Law 100-238; the age restriction does not apply if you are a veteran preference eligible.
• Documentation required: a DD-214 member 4 or service 2 if prior military, or a VA disability letter.
• Active-duty applicants must submit a Statement of Service.
• Retired O4 and above must have a Veterans Affairs disability rating of at least 0% service connected.
• Fitness and medical standards: you must be able to meet job-related medical and fitness standards
• Security clearance: you may be required to obtain a Secret or higher-level clearance
• Driver's licence: you must hold a valid driver's licence
• Uniform: an officially approved uniform must be worn while in a duty status
• Firearm proficiency: required for Air Interdiction Agents and provided as part of training
• Probationary period: a one-year probationary period must be served during the first year of your initial permanent federal appointment.
• Current federal employees may be required to serve a probationary period under 5 CFR 315 and may be required to accept a change to a lower grade, which may reduce current salary under federal pay regulation.

Requirements

• Conduct air patrols, surveillance and pursuit activities related to the interdiction of smuggled contraband carried by land vehicles, aircraft or vessels
• Monitor behaviour patterns and activities of suspect persons, vehicles or vessels believed to be engaged in illegal activities
• Collect, refine and analyse strategic and tactical intelligence
• Search persons, vessels, baggage and cargo for contraband or weapons incidental to detention or arrest
• Operate aircraft systems while performing law enforcement missions
• Perform interdiction duties including intelligence gathering, detecting, intercepting, tracking, apprehending, testifying and acting as liaison with other federal, state, local, tribal and foreign law enforcement agencies
• Develop strategies to track aircraft, vessels and people for effective, successful interdiction
• Gather and share intelligence on illegal activities or potential acts of terrorism with internal customers, the general aviation and marine communities and other law enforcement agencies
• Current FAA Commercial or ATP pilot certification with one of the following rating combinations: Dual rated: airplane (single-engine land or multi-engine land) with instrument rating and rotorcraft helicopter with instrument rating
• Airplane rated: airplane (single-engine land or multi‑engine land) with instrument rating
• Helicopter rated: rotorcraft helicopter with instrument rating
• Or an equivalent military rating at the time of application; eligibility based on military flight experience requires official orders, forms or logbooks showing status as a rated military pilot
• An FAA Class 1, FAA Class 2 or military medical flight clearance qualifies you to start the pre‑employment process; an FAA Class 2 medical is required at the time of the flight assessment, and all medicals must be dated within the last 12 months
• Pilot enter‑on‑duty minimum of 1,500 flight hours; up to 500 hours may be waived, reducing the minimum to 1,000 hours
• 250 pilot‑in‑command hours
• 75 instrument hours
• 75 night hours
• Applicants may apply at 750 flight hours, but must then obtain at least 1,000 flight hours (depending on the number of hours approved for a waiver) at their own expense before attending the three‑part flight assessment
• Age: you must be referred for consideration before your 40th birthday in accordance with Public Law 100-238; the age restriction does not apply if you are a veteran preference eligible.
• Documentation required: a DD-214 member 4 or service 2 if prior military, or a VA disability letter.
• Active‑duty applicants must submit a Statement of Service.
• Retired O4 and above must have a Veterans Affairs disability rating of at least 0% service connected.
• Fitness and medical standards: you must be able to meet job‑related medical and fitness standards
• Security clearance: you may be required to obtain a Secret or higher‑level clearance
• Driver's licence: you must hold a valid driver's licence
• Uniform: an officially approved uniform must be worn while in a duty status
• Firearm proficiency: required for Air Interdiction Agents and provided as part of training

Benefits

• Polygraph: this is a polygraph‑required position and you must pass a polygraph examination with favourable results to continue in the pre‑employment process. CBP may accept the results of a prior federal polygraph in lieu of a CBP exam (reciprocity), and certain veterans holding a current TS/SCI may be eligible for a waiver; information on requesting reciprocity or a waiver is provided in your background investigation package
• Probationary period: a one‑year probationary period must be served during the first year of your initial permanent federal appointment. Current federal employees may be required to serve a probationary period under 5 CFR 315 and may be required to accept a change to a lower grade, which may reduce current salary under federal pay regulation.

Compensation

This is a career ladder position with grade progression GS-11, GS-12 and GS-13. You may be eligible for automatic promotion to the next grade (without re‑applying) after completing 52 weeks at each grade level, with supervisor approval. Air Interdiction Agent special salary rates are published on the OPM website. Compensation components: SSR - special salary rate as posted by OPM; LEAP - Law Enforcement Availability Pay (25% for everyone); RI - retention incentive (10% for UAS sites); RI - recruitment incentive (25% for the Caribbean Air and Marine Branch, Aguadilla, Puerto Rico site only). Locations authorised for LEAP (SSR + LEAP): GS-11 first year $106,588; GS-12 second year $127,754; GS-13 third year $151,918 Locations authorised for a 10% retention incentive (SSR + LEAP + 10% RI, UAS sites Sierra Vista, AZ; Grand Forks, ND; San Angelo, TX): GS-11 first year $115,115; GS-12 second year $137,974; GS-13 third year $164,071 CAMB location only (SSR + LEAP + 25% recruitment incentive): GS-11 first year $127,906; GS-12 second year $153,305; GS-13 third year $182,302

Training

You will be detailed to the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) in Glynco, GA, for 15 weeks of Air and Marine Basic Training Academy (AMBTA), comprising formal basic technical instruction necessary to perform the duties of the position, including a swim and water survival course. You will also complete a Spanish language training programme, an initial survival training course, an aircraft‑specific flight training course and the Standardized Tactical Aviation Training (STAT) course.

Additional Information

Outside employment: as a CBP employee your conduct is subject to the ethics rules applicable to all Executive Branch employees, to CBP employees specifically, and to the criminal conflict of interest statutes. Once on duty, these rules include obtaining approval for outside employment or business activity to ensure it is not prohibited and does not interfere or conflict with the performance of your official duties.