Federal Law Enforcement Training Center

U.S. Customs and Border Protection Announces New Border Patrol Academy
Agents Will be Trained in Centralized State of the Art Facility

Washington, DC – U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Commissioner Robert C. Bonner announced today that thee Border Patrol Academy will be consolidated in a state of the art training facility located in Artesia, New Mexico. Currently, new Border Patrol agents are trained in two different locations in Georgia and South Carolina.

“The Border Patrol has on of the most important Homeland Security missions: controlling our nation’s borders, especially more than 6,000 miles of border with Mexico and Canada,” said U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Robert C. Bonner. “The new Border Patrol Academy, will build a foundation our Border Patrol agents need to meet their anti-terrorism, interdiction and border security mission.”

The Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) will host the Border Patrol Academy at its Artesia, NM training center. The Border Patrol Academy is responsible for addressing the basic and advanced training needs for more then 11,000 Border Patrol agents nationwide. New Border Patrol agents must complete a rigorous, 19-week training program that includes courses in anti-terrorism, federal Immigration and anti-drug laws, criminal law and statutory Authority, behavioral science, intensive Spanish language training, Border Patrol Operations, care and use of firearms, physical training and motor vehicle operations. The Academy’s New Mexico location provides a unique environment similar to Southwest border where many Border Patrol agents are assigned because of illegal drug smuggling.

“The Border Patrol is an important part of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The Border Patrol’s primary mission is to gain control of our borders and this has always been important, but in the post 9/11 era, it is essential. So far this year, Border Patrol agents have made over one million arrests and seized over a billion dollars worth of drugs,” said Border Patrol Chief David Aguilar. “The Academy and its instructors provide some of the best law enforcement training in the world. By having the academy in one location, we will be able to more effectively and efficiently provide a professional training environment to new agents that join the CBP Border Patrol family.”

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our Nation’s borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorists weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.