CBP Officer

CBP Officer

CBPGuy

7 Years Experience

SouthWest, US

Male, 25

I am a U. S. Customs and Border Protection Officer on the southwest border between Mexico and the United States. I know the ins and outs of the job as seen on TV/News and things intentionally hidden from the media! There's more to this job than "Anything to declare?" I dont know all but I'll do my best to answer any questions you have! All answers are my opinion, and my opinion only!

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Last Answer on April 22, 2019

Best Rated

Is Mexico still a popular place for bodybuilders to go get illegal steroids, and will you basically send any super muscle-bound guy to secondary inspection like 100% of the time because of that?

Asked by Joe almost 11 years ago

Yes, it is very true that illegal and legal prescription steroids are easily accessible in Mexico. However, we do not send muscular men to secondary for the possibility of possessing steroids. We are trained and experienced in reading people. We look for people that stand out and behave differently than the rest. When that happens, I ask myself "What are they trying to hide? Do they have a weapon? Are they a terrorist? Do they have drugs? Illegal documents? Have they done something already that they're afraid of revealing? Or are they just an awkward person?" All of these questions I try to answer by doing an inspection.

I have, on multiple occasions, seized steroids from bodybuilders. However, I don't automatically assume they have steroids because they're bodybuilders. Depending on their behavior, I assume all of the above until I can disprove my theories after inspection.

I hold an ESTA (VWP ppt holder) and travelled to NYC for a week. When I returned to my home country I checked my online I94 and this stated that I departed the US the next day of my arrival and the departure airport was left blank. Why was this?

Asked by Gabriel almost 10 years ago

Try checking again to see if it was updated. Sometimes there are system errors, thats the only thing I can think of.

If you have Permanent Resident card, how can lying about a criminal conviction hurt you with traveling across border? Will you know if someone lied before?

Asked by Canadian Stallion about 10 years ago

When we take your fingerprints, all of your arrest records from anywhere in the country can be viewed. As a Legal Permanent Resident, if you committed certain crimes, we can set you up with an NTA to see a judge for formal removal proceedings. In other words, you will lose your Resident status and be deported back to your country of citizenship.

Only if the officer decided to put notes in the system about you lying before, then yes we will know.

Thanks for the response! What is your advice on following up with this. Request records via FOIA? Call them&ask? I just want to know if this will ever show up on top level checks. I need credentialing for my profession soon. Misdemeanour is no good!

Asked by Canadian about 10 years ago

The port won't give you any answers, legally they are not allowed to. You can submit a FOIA request but you may also get vague answers with that as well. I can almost guarantee, by the information you provided, you were not given any criminal record by us. It's more than likely they just wrote you a fine and sent you on your way. Hope this helps.

Hello,

I am thinking about applying for CBP or Border Patrol. I have lots of questions about what the job is like and some of its benefits. Who can I talk to about this, or where should I look for answers? Thank you.

Asked by Future LEO over 9 years ago

Unfortunately, there is no national recruiter program for CBP. Some ports do have recruiters, however. You can locate a Port of Entry near you and give them a call to see if they have a recruiter program.

Here is the career's website for CBPO and Border Patrol positions: https://www.cbp.gov/careers

Also, this unofficial forum is what I used to gather information: https://forums.delphiforums.com/customsinspect.

Finally, I am more than happy to answer any questions you have that you can't find an answer to.

Good luck on your journey!

I had to pay a $500 fine for having less than a gram of marijuana in my car (friends stuff). I got the fine since it was my car. Is this on my record, and will it affect future elligibility for immigration/permanent residence? Is this a "conviction"?

Asked by Canadian about 10 years ago

It's hard to give you an accurate answer because I did not process your case. But, I will give you my opinion on what I THINK they might have done.

It looks like they cut you a HUGE break. Technically, if it's in your car, it's yours. I'm honestly surprised they didn't cancel your visa/deny entry, which is why I say they gave you a break.

More than likely, you were not arrested and they did not give you an FBI number so it will not show on a criminal record. It seems like they handled everything "in house". So, they issued you a fine and you probably have a record in our system only. You may be searched every time you enter. If you dont eventually pay the fine, your visa could eventually be canceled or you won't be able to obtain another one. I don't think this issue will affect you in any way other than when you cross the border.

I had posted a question about what you see on the screen when you run a passport. I got a response in the email saying that my answer had been posted, but now i dont see my questions either. Could you please repost the reply.

Asked by Sorry to bug you about this, but did you accidentally delete my question and the answer? about 10 years ago

I did delete it, I wasn't sure if am allowed to disclose that kind of information. But I will say, you weren't wrong with what you said.