U.S. Customs and Border Patrol looks to fill hundreds of job vacancies

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the largest law enforcement agency in the country, has hundreds of vacancies for law enforcement officers to fill nationwide, and El Paso and Columbus, New Mexico, are among the areas where there are job openings.

The Albuquerque Journal reports starting salaries range from $33,394 for Customs and Border Protection officers and $41,187 for Border Patrol agents, with opportunities for agents to earn $51,484 with overtime.

The Trump administration wants to add 5,000 Border Patrol agents on the Southwest border.

The agency, in fiscal year 2017, employed 19,437 Border Patrol agents; 23,079 Customs and Border Protection officers at border crossings, including international bridges and airports; and 947 Air and Marine agents to interdict smugglers and contraband on the water or from the air.

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