Special Agents with Customs

[pgapro112]

I'm wondering if anyone around here can offer some insight into what the training is like for special agents with the Customs Service compared to agents with other other agencies at FLETC? Certain Customs PEB requirements? Stuff like that. Thanks

[Swat1]

Well there is no longer such an agency as the Customs Service, we are now US Immigration and Customs Enforcement under the Department of Homeland Security or ICE. Strong rumor has it that we will change our name once more within the year to Investigations and Criminal Enforcement, still ICE, still under DHS.

As far as the training goes, once selected you would attend the Criminal Investigator Training Program (CITP) at FLETC which a generalized basic course taught to all GS-1811's (Criminal Investigators) whom attend FLETC. The FBI and DEA have their own academy at Quantico, VA. After completion of CITP you move on to ICE Special Agent Training (SAT) or ICE SAT.

ICE SAT consists of training specific to ICE and is 11 weeks long. I cannot give you a first hand account of ICE SAT as I attended the US Customs Service agents course called Customs Basic Enforcement School or CBES. The ICE SAT course is a combination of CBES and the former INS agents course. I believe PT is every other day or so. The PEB is taken twice during ICE SAT and CITP has it's own PT test. The PEB consists of a 1.5 mile run, pushups, situps, step test (stepping up and down a one foot step for three minutes and then measuring your pulse), and finally a flexibility test (sitting toe touch).

Hope this helps.

Swat1*

[Swat1]

I received your PM regarding physical training/testing requirements. At this time, you must participate in order to pass. Lack of participation could technically cause you to fail the course, however, I have never heard of that. There is some talk about setting pass/fail standards per event, however, I am not sure if that is going to happen or what the requirements will be if it does.

Swat1*

[LawGurl32]

How come the USCS changed their name?

[rob1982]

How is the sitting toe touch measure? I mean what is the required distance?
Thanks
Rob

[sideshow]

The Customs Service merged with the Immigration and Naturlization Service during the reorganization under the Department of Homeland Security, which was created after 9/11. Various functions went to two agencies: Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). To make things more confusing, there are rumors that ICE will change it's name to Investigations and Criminal Enforcement soon, to better reflect their expanding mission now that the Federal Air Marshals Service and the Federal Protective Service are under ICE.

Confused yet? I know I am!

[LawGurl32]

The reason why I was asking is because I attended the Customs explorer academy in the summer of 2002 and they still referred theirselves as the USCS. Im confused!! This sucks! hahaha

[Group9]

Originally posted by LawGurl32
The reason why I was asking is because I attended the Customs explorer academy in the summer of 2002 and they still referred theirselves as the USCS. Im confused!! This sucks! hahaha

Don't feel bad. No one knows exactly what to call them. We usually still refer to them as Customs because when you say ICE, everyone still looks at you and says "Who?".

[Swat1]

Yeah, we still call ourselves Customs too.

Swat1*

[LawGurl32]

Cool beans. Thanks for the clarification.

[Fedglock]

The training with DHS/Investigations and Criminal Enforcement(US CUSTOMS) is the same as any other Federal Agency for the first part, called CITP-Criminal Investigator Training Program. The second part is more agency specific. Now the course covers Customs and Immigration issues. The PT is a joke, there are no real requirements you run you jump..that's it. Need anything else let me know.

:D