Summary
The first incarnation of the U.S. Border Patrol, the Mounted Watchmen, was created by Theodore Roosevelt in 1904. Disorganized and poorly funded, it was responsible for patrolling the Mexican border for illegal Chinese immigrants. Today the U.S. Border Patrol uses advanced technology such as night-vision glasses, automatic rifles, electronic alarms, helicopters, airplanes, and unmanned drones to ensure the security of America's borders on land, air, and sea. Border Patrol tracks the history of this agency, highlighting changes in leadership, duties, equipment, and potential threats.
Key topics covered include:
- Border Patrol duties
- Drug smuggling
- Border Patrol equipment
- Prohibition Era issues
- Border Patrol Search Trauma and Rescue (BORSTAR)
- Border Patrol Tactical Unit (BORTAC)
- The September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks and the borders
- Mexican drug cartels.