Looking for an ICE Special Agent

[JudgeDredd]

I currently work for the FPS contractor in MO and, from what Iv'e heard, the FPS (also part of ICE) are getting ready to start a recruiting drive for Inspectors and Agents. Nobody knows when the jobs will open up, but the intelligence reform bill just signed into law mandates the hiring of 1,000 Border Patrol Agents (CBP) a year for five years ending in 2009, and 800 ICE agents a year, also ending in 2009 for a total of 5,000 and 4,000 respectively. The facility I'm stationed at houses the legacy Customs Agents and the Immigration guys are two blocks away, so we have a pretty regular interaction with all of them. since the creation of ICE, Iv'e seen a difference in the way everybody operates (in this area, at least). Some of it good, some bad, and they sitll have some communation problems that I won't go into on an open board. That said, however, if they hire by different specs (working at the customs side or immigrations, or FPS) try to go to the legacy customs group. They are the most laid back and sensible. My opinion might be slightly skewed due to the fact that I deal with the legacy customs group more than immigration (excluding FPS 1811's). Just my 2 cents.

[njice]

We can only hope that he gets the Job and boots the two of them. Garcia is running the Agency into the ground. I loved Customs and the work so I hope that it goes back to the way it was. But you never know.

[chewy]

How are you I am an ICE Agent from NJ and if things keep going the way they are you won't have to worry about what we do because we will be chasing illegals instead of doind real investigative work. I am a former Custom's Agent and since they created this joke called ICE my job outlook has become bleak. We have no money to even get cars washed, no mission staement, no bosses that will fight for us with the FBI and we do absolutely no terrorist related investigations.

As for hiring, the word in the office is that they will not hire any new agents until at least 2006 because the boses screwed up the budget so bad that we won't have the cash to do anything until then.

It's funny, I hear that a lot from Inspectors I worked with that went OI/ICE. They all, mostly, say that they are glorified INS deportation officers now. I have to tell you that things in CBP aren't any better either. We have no money for anything so all our stuff is getting into worse state of disrepair and on top of it all were starting all kinds of training on how to check for bugs and how to do I-94's. If things keep going this way, there are a lot of us that are looking outside of Hitler Security for a real job. Things aren't looking good. The only good thing is that Bush can't get re-elected for a third term so maybe things will eventually change.? :(

[bob95321]

I guess having never seen what Customs really did, I have no idea what you all are pining for. I personally (as I've posted before) have no problem with BP work. But when I travel in from the border, I get very aggravated at the number of illegal aliens there are with no one interested in apprehending them. I've said many times, I could be much more effective if I could work in the interior.

So forgive me if I start to bristle when people complain about deporting illegal aliens. Like I said, I have no idea what Customs was doing before the reorganization that was so important. That was why I started the thread so long ago.

[chewy]

I guess having never seen what Customs really did, I have no idea what you all are pining for. I personally (as I've posted before) have no problem with BP work. But when I travel in from the border, I get very aggravated at the number of illegal aliens there are with no one interested in apprehending them. I've said many times, I could be much more effective if I could work in the interior.

So forgive me if I start to bristle when people complain about deporting illegal aliens. Like I said, I have no idea what Customs was doing before the reorganization that was so important. That was why I started the thread so long ago.

It's not that no ones INTERESTED, it's more to the fact that our management doesn't let us, or we have so many more "important" duties to attend to like facilitating legitemate traffic that we don't have time to mess with such unimportant issues like narcotics detection, stopping terroist and terrorist weapons, etc.

[Sleuth]

What Customs (Investigations) did before ICE:
1. Investigated smuggling of all kinds into the country. Drugs, tainted foods, phoney medications, falsely marked connectors (the kind that make helos crash and bridges fall down), explosives, etc., etc.
2. Investigated fraudulent entry of goods that were either unsafe, or undervalued to avoid payment of duty (in one investigation of about 100 hours, I added over $1 mil to the Treasury).
3. Stopped the export of Arms, Ammunition, and Implements of War to our enemys, like F-16 Fighter parts to Iran, or Nuclear Triggers to Iraqi.

We had plenty to do, and lots of outlaws to put in the slammer. I have siezed unsafe cars, yachts, even a bus. And the tons of unfit-for-consumption foodstuffs I got, or the false grade 8 bolts destined for interstate bridges. Marajuana, Cocaine, Heroin, Opium, Hash, it was all to common to even think about. And the quantities would make your head spin. Heck, the parrots were worth more per ounce than heroin.

That is just some of what Customs - Inspectors, Special Agents, Import Specialists, Patrol Officers - had to do before ICE.

[Swat1]

Sleuth did a pretty good job with his list, but, forgot two major Customs investigative responsibilities:

1 - Child Pornography.

2 - International Money Laundering and Financial Investigations.


Customs was on the leading edge of both types of crimes and of course after ICE we are still doing it, however, our financial cases seem to have waned as the FBI took over terrorism financing, which we used to do.

One of the comments I have heard bantered around the office is "We are turning into INS with a Child Porn unit." The other types of cases just don't seem to be as important to upper management anymore.

I have absolutely nothing against the INS agents, etc. As a matter of fact the majority of the legacy INS agents here in Portland, I would consider outstanding. Many of them work complex, productive investigations involving marriage fraud, false documents and other scams. I applaud thier work and I think it's important. Unfortunately the INS game is a no win one. They are damned if they do, damned if they don't. Politics plays way to much of role in the INS cases and daily duties. The media kills them for not doing their jobs and then in the same paper, etc., kills them for deporting poor Imelda the illegal dogooder, blah, blah, blah. The service side of INS ruled and the LE side suffered and took a back seat.

The culture is very strange to me as well. I don't understand an agency that has 1811's working paperwork processes (processing aliens) instead of investigations. DRO's should have been handling that from it's inception. As it is right now the tax payer pays GS-13's to process aliens for deportation/removal which takes ALOT of time. I parlay that to the local police department using detectives to book prisoners after patrol arrests them. What kind of sense does that make? But, it was status-quo under INS and continues to be today. It boggles the minds of the Customs agents who always had alot of support for investigations and never really had to work any kind of pure paperwork processes in kind.

The plain and simple fact is that the knee-jerk merger was a bad idea. They are trying to put square pegs into round holes and vice-versa. I know changes were needed after 9/11 but they should have thought them out. Took there time. The problem is that "Homeland Security" is such a mis-nomer, the American people think we work Terrorism 24/7 when the truth is we work the same type cases that our legacy agencies did before the merger because that is what we know how to do and those crimes did not stop happening. The FBI has sole jurisdiction and responsibility for terrorism.

I could go on for days....

Swat1*

[scott715us]

What am I chopped liver?

Anyway, to answer your questions posted:

1. Job locations - Every major city and many not so major cities (interior and border), all over the border both north and south and several foreign countries.

Actual work performed - well just yesterday I was storming a beach with a draeger rebreather and a kbar in my mouth...NOT. Who decided to that crap on the website I do not know, but it has nothing to do with what an ICE SA does on a daily basis. Bob, we have several former BPA's in ICE even on the legacy Customs side. I am a legacy Customs agent and becoming ICE hasn't really changed that as far as my day to day work goes.

It is very difficult to give an accurate portrayal of actual work performed, because it varies so much, based on location, office and group assigned. I will sum up my last week just to give you an idea of my own experience, but this will vary drastically based on the above mentioned issues.

Last Thursday - writing a report of investigation concerning strategic export investigation that has been nine months in the works. Late afternoon, receive a duty call concerning the FedEx hub in Anchorage Alaska seizing a parcel containing piratical DVD's and counterfeit labeling. Accept seizure for anticipatory search warrant.

Friday - Gather information receive parcel, contact legitimate manufacturer (victim), contact AUSA for warrant support. Start affidavit, work on affidavit for 6 hours til 11:00 p.m.

Saturday - 3 hours working on affidavit.

Sunday - 4 hours on affidavit, oplan, coordinating local SWAT team due to subjects extensive and violent criminal history.

Monday - Tweak affidavit as new information comes in, coordinate travel, finalize oplan and coordination with locals.

Tuesday - Travel 3 hours to US District Court responsible for the area. Travel another 1 and 1/2 hours to target city. Go to UPS to outbound inspect a package sent from target location. Coordination with local agencies and entities, Brief with search team. Drive by of location.

Wednesday - 0430 snipers out, 0530 SWAT briefing, 0800 serve warrant (other operational conditions are executed, however, due to OPSEC, I will not be posting them on an open internet site). Search location until 1230, seizing approx 2000 DVD's, 2000 cases, 2000 labels, records, 2 computers, shrinkwrap equipment etc. Backbrief with SWAT. Depart area for office. Arrive office and secure evidence. Heading home at 1930 (long day).

Thursday - Check email, messages. Recount all evidence seized. Enter seizure report (pain in ***). Receive duty call concerning an issue I cannot talk about here. Call HQ regarding that issue for guidance from State Department. Leave for meeting 1 and a half hours away. Meet with auditor of a company regarding child porn found on work LAN computers. Coordinate issues from previous duty call for following day. Home early at 1600. (don't worry the taxpayers are getting more than their fair share out of my hide).

Friday - got a couple of things scheduled but never know how it will shape up as things change. Oh yeah, I am also acting Group Supervisor and duty agent til Tuesday next week.

3. When hiring / recruiting will begin - Don't know for sure, but word on the street is after the fiscal year when we get money, we'll be hiring a bunch.

If you come up with more questions, let me know.

SWAT 1*

All I can say is...WOW. ;)

[bob95321]

How often do we complain that if we were just allowed to do what we've been trained to do, we would be happier and much more effective?

[SSG123]

Well Said!!! Sad but true!