U.S. Customs Jobs

• Employees of the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol help to safeguard the country's borders. Bartomeu Amengual/Creatas/Getty Images

  U.S. Customs and Border Patrol employees help to keep terrorists and terrorist weapons from entering the country, according to the U.S. Customs website. The front-line employees are those who work directly on the borders as law enforcement and mission specialists in what they call mission-critical occupations. These jobs make up most of the careers in U.S. Customs. There are also mission-support and operational-support positions that include accountants, information technology specialists, analysts, researchers, paralegals and technicians.

Border Patrol Agent

• Agents are responsible for patroling the border as well as checking out farms and ranches. military wheel image by Ian Danbury from Fotolia.com

  Border patrol agents must be citizens and residents of the U.S. They must be under 40 years of age and be fluent in Spanish. They must be able to pass a criminal background investigation, a medical exam, two fitness tests, a drug test and a physical. Once hired, they will go through a 55-day paid basic training in New Mexico. New employees are taught about relevant laws, undergo physical training and take marksmanship courses. On the job, the main duty is line watch, which is surveillance of the borders. Other activities include checking farms, ranches and vehicular traffic; making city patrols; and performing administrative and intelligence duties.

Customs Border Patrol Agent

• Customs border patrol agents investigate all cargo entering the U.S. world trade image by Chad McDermott from Fotolia.com

  Customs border patrol agents screen passengers and cargo at ports of entry. CBP agents must meet the same qualifications as border patrol agents and undergo similar training, which takes 15 weeks. The agents are charged with detecting and preventing terrorists and weapons of mass destruction from entering the U.S. while allowing legitimate travelers and trade to pass through in an orderly fashion. They search for and seize contraband and keep dangerous agricultural pests and diseases from entering the country. They inspect passengers and cargo at all ports of entry.

Air and Marine Interdiction Agents

• Air and marine interdiction agents protect the country from those who would enter illegally by sea or air. distant ships image by Paula Gent from Fotolia.com

  Air and marine interdiction agents prevent illegal entry of people, weapons or contraband into U.S. territory. The agents patrol large bodies of water to prevent illegal aliens, smugglers and terrorists from entering the country. They command vessels and conduct operations against terrorists. They are also called upon to help in places struck by natural disasters or to provide maritime security at large national events.

Customs Border Patrol Agriculture Specialist

• CBP agriculture specialists help protect the nation's food supply. agriculture-background image by Mykola Velychko from Fotolia.com

  CBP agriculture specialists have the two-fold job of preventing from entering the U.S. substances that would harm agriculture and the food supply and of stopping agri-terrorism. CBP agriculture specialists must have a bachelor's degree in biology, agriculture, natural resources or chemistry. They also must have a combination of education and experience in pest control, pesticides, environmental monitoring, inspecting aircraft and farm management related to disease control. They serve as experts and technical consultants at ports of entry. They inspect and analyze agricultural and commercial commodities. They determine what can be allowed through and stop those things from entering that would introduce harmful pests, diseases or agri-terrorism devices.

Import Specialist

• Import specialists collect entry duties and taxes--the second largest source of income for the U.S. government. import export textiles. image by Bruno Bernier from Fotolia.com

  Import specialists collect tariffs and determine what may legally enter the country. They classify and appraise commercial imports and exports. They apply laws involving protecting public health and safety, intellectual property rights and fair trade practices. They help investigate smuggling, commercial fraud and counterfeiting. Anyone hired as an import specialist will undergo seven weeks of paid training on import and export trends, international trade agreements, commodities and industries.