MARFA, Texas — West Texans are learning more about how the country secures our border.
On Wednesday, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Big Bend sector opened its gates to the public to show the community what agents do.
Dozens of families and students attended from Marfa, Alpine, Vanhorn and Valentine.
There was everything from demonstrations, to helicopter tours, meet and greets with the K-9 unit and horse patrol, and details on how the public can help agents do their job better.
It has been two years since the sector has hosted an open house like this for the public.
COVID restrictions have made it tricky for the agency to show off what it does.
While the open house was a fun field trip for many, it was also an opportunity for us customs and border protection to teach the community what to look for.
“The Big Bend Sector has a lot of territories," Greg Davis, U.S. Border Patrol Public Affairs Liaison, said. "It is a vast area for our agents so it's important for the citizens to be aware of their surroundings and work with us to report maybe criminal organizations or activity that we can interdict.”
Davis says most of the intel they get on criminal organizations near the border comes from everyday citizens.
“We’re funded by taxpayer money and all of our equipment is here doing a mission in support of the American people," Davis said. "So they’ve got to know what we do."
Altogether there are about 600 border patrol agents in the Big Bend Sector.
But with no sign of migration at the border slowing down, the agency is always looking to hire more people.
For Davis, events like this make for a great recruitment tool.
“It is an opportunity to interact with the school's kids to maybe put a seed in their mind that sometime in the future they can be like some of these ladies and gentleman that work so hard here," Davis said.
For more information on becoming an agent with U.S. CBP click here.