Brownsville, Texas - U.S. Customs and Border Protection's Office of Air and Marine today dedicated its renovated Brownsville Marine Unit in Port Isabel, Texas. Improvements to the facility will enhance CBP's marine operations in the region as well as help expand coordination with other law enforcement organizations.
The Brownsville Marine Unit is responsible for providing maritime coastal border security patrols and smuggling interdictions in the coastal and inter-coastal waterway areas of South Texas. CBP agents perform this mission through the use of high-speed coastal interceptor and coastal enforcement vessels. The Marine Interdiction Agents assigned to the unit work closely with their investigative counterparts in other federal, state and local law-enforcement agencies to ensure that the South Texas maritime border is secured and persons attempting to enter the country illegally are identified, detained and prosecuted.
"This modern facility will facilitate the work and mission that CBP marine interdictions agents are responsible for in the South Texas Gulf Coast region," said CBP Assistant Commissioner Michael Kostelnik. "The renovations include an enhancement of the work space for our agents, state-of-the-art technologies and space for training and meetings to help them continue to disrupt illegal activities in this coastal region."
The newly renovated 9,500 square foot marine facility occupies 1.4 acres in Port Isabel, Texas. This facility provides office, work and marina space for CBP personnel and slips for six vessels. The renovations had a total cost of $1.1 million.
CBP Office of Air and Marine deploys the world's largest law enforcement air and marine force to enhance homeland security and enforce immigration and customs laws. CBP deploys more than 350 marine interdiction agents and more than 300 watercraft to patrol the coastal waters of the U.S. These include northern and southern U.S. borders, the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean off Southern California and Mexico. CBP air and marine assets provide unique support to assist other federal agencies during law enforcement and special operations and provide search and rescue support during times of national emergencies.