SNAPSHOT

A SUMMARY OF CBP FACTS AND FIGURES

ON A TYPICAL DAY, CBP:

• Processed:

» 1,069,266 passengers and pedestrians 

- 326,723 incoming international air 

passengers and crew

- 53,786 passengers and crew on arriving 

ship/boat

- 688,757 incoming land travelers

» 282,350 incoming privately owned vehicles

» 74,417 truck, rail, and sea containers 

» $6.3 billion worth of imported goods

• Conducted 1,140 apprehensions between 

U.S. ports of entry

• Arrested 22 wanted criminals at U.S. ports of 

entry 

• Refused 752 inadmissible persons at U.S. ports 

of entry

• Identified 877 individuals with suspected 

national security concerns

• Intercepted 20 fraudulent documents

• Discovered 404 pests at U.S. ports of entry 

and 4,638 materials for quarantine - plant, 

meat, animal byproduct, and soil 

• Seized:

» 7,910 pounds of drugs

» $289,609 in undeclared or illicit currency

» $3.8 million worth of products with 

Intellectual Property Rights violations 

• Employed 59,221 CBP employees, including: 

» 22,910 CBP officers

» 2,416 CBP Agriculture specialists 

» 19,828 Border Patrol agents 

» 639 Air Interdiction agents

» 334 Marine Interdiction agents

» 232 Aviation Enforcement agents

• Deployed more than 1,462 canine teams and 

400 horse patrols 

• Flew 217 hours of enforcement missions over 

the United States

• Performed 76 float hours of enforcement 

missions in the United States

• Conducted operations at: 

» 51 countries with more than 911 CBP 

employees working internationally

» 328 ports of entry within 20 field offices 

» 135 Border Patrol stations and 20 

substations within 20 sectors, with 35 

permanent checkpoints

» 14 Air and Marine branches, 5 National Air 

Security Operations Centers, and one Air 

and Marine Operations Center

1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW • Washington, DC • 20229 • www.cbp.gov

ABOUT CBP

CBP Mission

To safeguard America’s borders thereby protecting the public from dangerous 

people and materials while enhancing the Nation’s global economic 

competitiveness by enabling legitimate trade and travel.

CBP Vision

To serve as the premier law enforcement agency enhancing the Nation’s safety, 

security, and prosperity through collaboration, innovation, and integration.

KEY LEADERS

Homeland Security Secretary: John F. Kelly

Acting Commissioner: Kevin K. McAleenan

Acting Deputy Commissioner: Ronald D. Vitiello

Acting Chief, U.S. Border Patrol: Carla L. Provost

Executive Assistant Commissioner, Field Operations: Todd C. Owen

Acting Executive Assistant Commissioner, Air and Marine Operations: Edward E. Young

Executive Assistant Commissioner, Trade: Brenda B. Smith

Acting Executive Assistant Commissioner, Operations Support: Robert E. Perez

Executive Assistant Commissioner, Enterprise Services: Kathryn L. Kolbe

HISTORY

1789: The fifth act of the first Congress establishes Customs.

1862: The U.S. Department of Agriculture is created to “procure, propagate and 

distribute among the people new and valuable seeds and plants.”

1904: The U.S. Immigration Service is assigned a small force of mounted 

inspectors to patrol the border to prevent illegal crossings.

1912: The Department of Agriculture’s Plant Protection and Quarantine Program 

at ports of entry evolves out of the creation of the Federal Horticultural Board.

1924: Congress establishes the United States Border Patrol as part of the 

Immigration Bureau, an arm of the Department of Labor.

1993: Operation Hold the Line is established, marking a shift toward forward 

deployment to deter illegal border crossings.

2003: Bureau of Customs and Border Protection is established becoming the 

first joint border management agency in the world and the largest federal law 

enforcement agency in the United States.

2004: CBP begins receiving advanced information on cargo coming to the U.S. 

allowing the agency to further guard the country against terrorist threats.

2005: Hurricane Katrina strikes the Gulf Coast and the Florida panhandle. CBP 

assists in rescue and recovery and works to divert cargo traffic to other ports.

2010: Faisal Shazad, known as the Times Square Bomber, is apprehended at JFK 

Airport by CBP officers moments before escaping the United States.

2011: Centers of Excellence and Expertise become operational, bringing 

important new capabilities to CBP’s trade and security mission.

2011: CBP’s unmanned aircraft system is deployed to provide the National 

Weather Service and emergency responders with real-time images during the 

Red River floods in Minnesota and North Dakota.

2013: CBP marks the 10th anniversary of its founding in 2003.

2015: CBP’s Office of Air and Marine becomes Air and Marine Operations (AMO). Based on FY 2016 data
SNAPSHOT

A SUMMARY OF CBP FACTS AND FIGURES

TOP RESPONSIBILITIES

Border Security: CBP secures America’s borders at and between ports of 

entry by stopping inadmissible people and illicit goods. CBP’s offices of Field 

Operations, Border Patrol, and Air and Marine Operations represent the largest 

federal law enforcement agency.

Trade: CBP works to secure and facilitate imports arriving in the U.S., 

accommodating the increasing volume and complexities of international trade. 

CBP protects U.S. agricultural resources through active inspections at ports of 

entry. With the Container Security Initiative, Customs-Trade Partnership Against 

Terrorism, and the Automated Commercial Environment, CBP has a sturdy base 

of partnerships and technology to safeguard the American public and promote 

legitimate international commerce.

Travel: Over a million times each day, CBP officers welcome international 

travelers and returning U.S. citizens into the United States. CBP secures and 

facilitates legitimate travel by growing trusted traveler programs, embracing 

business transformation initiatives, fostering public-private partnerships, and 

employing robust targeting and risk assessment strategies. Working closely with 

stakeholders, CBP keeps international travelers informed, secures the travel 

environment, and promotes modern global tourism.

KEY PROGRAMS AND INITIATIVES

Global Entry: This program allows pre-approved, low-risk U.S. citizens and 

lawful permanent residents expedited clearance upon arrival into the U.S. 

Participants enter using automated self-service kiosks and are generally exempt 

from routine CBP questioning.

Electronic System for Travel Authorization: ESTA is an automated system 

used to determine the eligibility of visitors from Visa Waiver countries prior 

to boarding a carrier to travel to the U.S. ESTA enhances the security of these 

travelers and will allow the U.S. government to continue to expand the program 

with our most trusted allies.

Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism: Under C-TPAT, importers who 

meet certain security standards are provided expedited processing benefits. This 

enables CBP to facilitate legitimate trade while focusing resources on unknown 

or high-risk shipments.

Automated Commercial Environment: ACE is a modernized commercial trade 

processing system with features designed to consolidate and automate border 

processing. It provides a solid technology foundation for all border security 

initiatives within CBP.

Centers of Excellence and Expertise: These centers work with the international 

trade community to transform CBP’s approach to trade operations. The Centers 

increase the use of uniform practices across ports of entry, help to timely resolve 

trade compliance issues nationwide, and further strengthen critical agency 

knowledge of key industry practices. Centers of Excellence and Expertise for 10 

different industries operate nationwide.

Preclearance: Through CBP preclearance, CBP officers and agriculture specialists 

perform the same immigration, customs, and agriculture inspections of air 

passengers on foreign soil – prior to boarding a direct flight to the U.S. – 

without further CBP processing or security screening upon arrival. This creates 

opportunities for increased security, economic growth, and an improved 

passenger experience.

ON THE WEB

DHS: www.dhs.gov

CBP: www.cbp.gov

CBP Travel Info: www.cbp.gov/travel

CBP Import Info: www.cbp.gov/trade

CBP News: www.cbp.gov/newsroom

CBP Careers: www.cbp.gov/careers

Federal Job Opportunities: www.usajobs.gov

AIR AND MARINE OPERATIONS

OFFICE OF FIELD OPERATIONS

U.S. BORDER PATROL

Photos by U.S. Customs and Border Protection

April 2017