U.S. Customs agents stopped in Aurora Tuesday, Aug. 13.
No, not a raid. Instead, in a speech titled “CBP 101,” Ron Jablecki and Esmerelda Samaniego gave an inside look at the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency. They were guest speakers at the Citizen Police Academy Alumni of Aurora monthly membership meeting at APD headquarters.
Samaniego recalled how she became interested in a law enforcement career after playing a cops-and-robbers game with siblings while growing up in Chicago.
Jablecki said more than 28,000 individuals on land, sea and air operate 20 CBP field offices in all 50 states, 70 locations in over 50 countries and at 328 ports of entry. CBP offices are trade, professional responsibility, administrative, professional and technical, U.S. Border Patrol, air and marine operations and field operations.
CBP’s mission, he said, is to protect the American people, safeguard U.S. borders and enhance the nation’s economic prosperity.
Based on 2023 data, a typical CBP day included arresting 44 wanted criminals at ports, performed 5,654 Border Patrol apprehensions, made 118 rescues and medical lifesaving responses and seized 2,339 pounds of drugs (78 pounds of fentanyl), $182,998 in illicit currency and $6.6 million worth of products with intellectual property rights violations.
Also, agents intercepted five fraudulent documents, flew 219 hours and floated 83 hours of enforcement missions over/in the U.S.
The speakers invited the public to view job openings at cbp.gov/careers.
—Al Benson