Historic Border Patrol Badge Artifact

USBP Overview

During the creation of the Department of Homeland Security, the USBP, along with the INS inspection division, the U.S. Customs inspection division, and the Department of Agriculture’s plant and animal inspection service, were merged into a new agency called U.S. Customs and Border Protection, also known as CBP.

While the traditional mission of the USBP has always been the detection and prevention of the illegal entry of aliens and smuggling of illegal contraband into the United States anywhere other than a designated port-of-entry, the dawn of the age of terrorism within our nation has added a new and high priority mission: To detect and prevent the entry of terrorists and their weapons into the United States.

USBP horses

On horseback, and on land, sea, and air, the USBP defends America.

The Border Patrol never sleeps. Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week the men and women of the USBP are doing everything possible with the limited resources available to them to secure the borders of the United States of America.

Keeping America’s borders safe is a very dangerous assignment. Nearly 100 Border Patrol officers have lost their lives in the line of duty. Thousands have been wounded.

The Border Patrol’s mission has increased over the years. Today, the Border Patrol must also operate within the interior of United States — monitoring roads and even some airports where illegal aliens concentrate. In addition, other government agencies have granted the USBP certain additional powers to help them protect our borders.

The function of the USBP has been an essential element of our country’s security since before our Constitution was even written. On July 4th, 1776, our Founding Fathers declared our country independent from England. It is this act that we celebrate on July 4th of every year. The twenty-seventh reason for our separation from England — as listed in our Declaration of Independence — is the King’s refusal to provide the people of America with a secure border.

This site is maintained by supporters of the United States Border Patrol and is not an official government site.
The contents of this site are privately managed and not subject to the direction of the United States Border Patrol.