Border Patrol Agent - Experienced

U.S. Customs and Border Protection; Freer (TX); On-site; USD 65,545 - 124,717; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Recruitment incentive

Retention incentive

Job summary

U.S. Border Patrol is seeking an experienced Border Patrol Agent (GL-9/GS-11) in Texas with sign-on and retention incentives. The role offers base pay, location pay, and a path for career progression within USBP.

Duty locations include several Texas sites; relocation may be required. After hire, agents train at the Border Patrol Academy in Artesia, NM, with Spanish proficiency supported during training and on the job.

Qualifications

• Citizenship: Must be a U.S. Citizen.
• Residency: Must have had primary U.S. residency for at least three of the last five years.
• Age Restriction: Must be referred for selection before their 40th birthday.
• Veterans’ Preference: Eligible for an excepted service Veterans’ Recruitment Appointment.
• Formal Training: After hiring, detailed to the U.S. Border Patrol Academy in Artesia, NM; Spanish proficiency required.

Responsibilities

• Detect suspected violators of immigration and customs laws, inspect documents and possessions to determine citizenship or violations.
• Prevent and apprehend aliens and smugglers near the borders using surveillance, including infrared scopes at night operations.
• Interpret and follow tracks, marks, and other evidence of illegal entry or contraband.
• Perform farm checks, building checks, traffic checks, city patrols, and transportation checks.
• Patrol the international boundary and coastal waterways using various government assets to accomplish the USBP Mission.

Job description

Border Patrol Agent (BPA) – Experienced (GL‑9 / GS‑11) – New Hire Sign‑On and Retention Incentives

SAME MISSION, NEW DRIVE! You love protecting your community and doing your part to keep our nation safe. But maybe you’re looking for a change of scenery. USBP is hiring immediately for full‑time, career positions where your prior law enforcement officer (LEO) experience may qualify you for higher‑graded Border Patrol Agent (BPA) opportunities. Continue making a difference with the nation's premier federal agency charged with securing our borders and protecting our country.

Whether you gained this experience as part of a military police unit or as a member of a state or local law enforcement organization, you have an opportunity to work with highly trained professionals whose camaraderie, pride, and purpose are hallmarks of their daily mission.

Check out the duties and responsibilities section below, along with the qualifications section to see if you are eligible. Now is the time to make your move, along with excellent base pay, location pay, exceptional benefits, and job stability. USBP is offering up to $60,000 in additional incentives to newly appointed Agents (see details below).

Important Notice

Duty assignments available at the time of offer may include the Southwest Border, including prioritized locations. U.S. Border Patrol determines duty assignments at the time of offer based on operational needs, which may or may not align with candidates’ first‑choice preferences. Relocation may be required.

Salary and Benefits

• Base Salary: GL‑9 / GS‑11, $65,545 – $124,717 per year
• Locality Pay: Varies by duty location.
• Overtime Pay: Up to 25%
• Recruitment Incentive: Up to $20,000 (first $10,000 upon successful completion of the Border Patrol Academy; the remaining $10,000 for accepting a prioritized location). Prioritized locations include Sierra Blanca, TX; Presidio, TX; Sanderson, TX; Comstock, TX; Lordsburg, NM; Freer, TX; Hebbronville, TX; Ajo, AZ.
• Retention Incentive: Up to $40,000 in additional incentives distributed over the first four years.

Duty Locations

• Big Bend Sector Stations – Presidio, Van Horn, Sanderson, Alpine, Sierra Blanca, Marfa
• Buffalo Sector Stations – Wellesley Island
• Del Rio Sector Stations – Del Rio, Brackettville, Comstock, Eagle Pass North, Eagle Pass South, Carrizo Springs, Uvalde
• El Paso Sector Stations – Alamogordo, Clint, Deming, El Paso, Fort Hancock, Las Cruces, Lordsburg, Santa Teresa, Ysleta
• El Centro Sector Stations – El Centro, Indio, Calexico
• Grand Forks Sector Stations – Pembina
• Havre Sector Stations – Havre, Malta, Plentywood, Scobey, Sweetgrass
• Houlton Sector Stations – Calais, Fort Fairfield, Jackman, Rangeley, Van Buren
• Laredo Sector Stations – Laredo South, Cotulla, Hebbronville, Laredo West, Freer, Laredo North, Zapata
• Rio Grande Valley Sector Stations – Rio Grande City, Fort Brown, McAllen, Brownsville, Falfurrias, Weslaco, Kingsville, Harlingen
• San Diego Sector Stations – Boulevard, Brownfield, Campo, Chula Vista, Imperial Beach, Murrieta, San Clemente
• Spokane Sector Stations – Colville, Curlew, Metaline Falls, Oroville
• Swanton Sector Stations – Beecher Falls, Burke, Champlain, Newport, Richford
• Tucson Sector Stations – Ajo, Tucson, Nogales, Douglas, Brian A Terry, Sonoita, Casa Grande, Three Points Substation, Willcox
• Yuma Sector Stations – Blythe, Yuma, Wellton

Duties and Responsibilities

• Detecting and questioning people suspected of violating immigration and customs laws, and inspecting documents and possessions to determine citizenship or violations.
• Preventing and apprehending aliens and smugglers of aliens at or near the borders by maintaining surveillance from covert positions, including use of infrared scopes during night operations.
• Interpreting and following tracks, marks, and other physical evidence of illegal entry of persons or contraband.
• Performing farm checks, building checks, traffic checks, city patrols, and transportation checks.
• Patrolling the international boundary and coastal waterways using a variety of government assets such as vehicles, horses, vessels, watercraft, off‑road vehicles, ATVs, snowmobiles, and motorcycles to accomplish the USBP Mission.

Qualifications

GL‑9: One year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level, performing duties such as:

• Performing physical searches of detained individuals, their vehicles, and immediate surroundings for weapons, contraband, currency, and other evidence.
• Apprehending, physically restraining, or working with law enforcement officials to identify or apprehend violators of state, federal, or immigration laws.
• Proficient use of firearms, preparing investigative reports, serving court orders (e.g., warrants, subpoenas), and gathering evidence for criminal cases prosecuted through the court system.

GS‑11: One year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level, with the authority granted by the state or government to enforce laws, make arrests, and investigate crimes, performing primary duties such as:

• Utilizing intelligence information to track illegal operations, criminal activity, threats to our nation, and/or contraband while serving as a state, federal, or military law enforcement official.
• Leading investigations of fraud, contraband, criminal activity, threats to our nation, and/or illegal operations to determine sources and patterns while serving as a state, federal, or military law enforcement official.
• Apprehending violators of state, federal, or immigration laws by utilizing various forms of complex technology that include surveillance, detection, situation awareness systems, and/or communications equipment.

Activities also include: making arrests and exercising sound judgment in the use of firearms; dealing effectively with people in a courteous manner in connection with law enforcement matters; analyzing information rapidly and making prompt decisions; and developing and maintaining contact with a network of informants.

No education substitutions for the GL‑9 or GS‑11 grade‑level Border Patrol Agent opportunities.

Other Requirements

• Citizenship: Must be a U.S. Citizen.
• Residency: Must have had primary U.S. residency for at least three of the last five years.
• Age Restriction: Candidates must be referred for selection before their 40th birthday, except for certain veterans and federal civilian law‑enforcement positions as defined by law.
• Veterans’ Preference: Eligible for an excepted service Veterans’ Recruitment Appointment. Age restriction does not apply if veterans’ preference is eligible.
• Formal Training: After hiring, will be detailed to the U.S. Border Patrol Academy in Artesia, New Mexico, for approximately six months of intensive instruction. Proficiency in Spanish is required; training to become proficient is provided at the Academy.

How To Apply

Click the Apply button on this site. You will be linked to the CBP Talent Network registration page. For Position of Interest, select Border Patrol Agent and then complete the pre‑screening questions. You’ll receive a link(s) to the BPA Job Opening Announcements (JOAs) on USAJOBS to complete your application. Be certain to review all details of the job opportunity announcement and follow all instructions in the application process, including items (resume, transcripts, etc.) to submit. You will be evaluated based on your resume, supporting documents, and the BPA Entrance Exam.

If you have questions about the application process, contact a recruiter through the U.S. Border Patrol page: careers.cbp.gov/s/usbp.