United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is the largest federal law enforcement agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security. It is the country's primary border control organization, charged with regulating and facilitating international trade, collecting import duties, as well as enforcing U.S. regulations, including trade, customs, and immigration. The CBP is one of the largest law enforcement agencies in the United States. It has a workforce of more than 45,600 federal agents and officers. It is headquartered in Washington, D.C.
The CBP has a workforce of over 58,000 employees, including officers and agents, agriculture specialists, aircraft pilots, trade specialists, mission support staff, and canine enforcement officers and agents.
Approximately 33,300 CBP officers inspect and examine passengers and cargo at 328 ports of entry.
About 2,200 CBP agriculture specialists work to curtail the spread of harmful pests and plant and animal diseases that may harm America's farms and food supply or cause bio- and agro-terrorism.
About 21,000 Border Patrol agents protect and patrol 1,900 miles (3,100 km) of border with Mexico and 5,000 miles (8,000 km) of border with Canada.
Roughly 1,000 air and marine interdiction agents prevent people, weapons, narcotics, and conveyances from illegal entry by air and water.
Roughly 2,500 employees in CBP revenue positions collect over $30 billion annually in entry duties and taxes through the enforcement of trade and tariff laws. In addition, these employees fulfill the agency's trade mission by appraising and classifying imported merchandise. These employees serve in positions such as import specialist, auditor, international trade specialist, and textile analyst.
The primary goal of the CBP Canine Program is terrorist detection and apprehension. The CBP Canine Program is critical to the mission of the Department of Homeland Security: "To Protect the Homeland." The program conducts the largest number of working dogs of any U.S. federal law enforcement agency. K-9 teams are assigned to 73 commercial ports and 74 Border Patrol stations throughout the nation.
There are 328 officially designated ports of entry and an additional 14 pre-clearance locations. CBP is also in charge of the Container Security Initiative, which identifies and inspects foreign cargo in its mother country before it is to be imported into the United States. In addition the CBP claims to have legal jurisdiction to conduct some activities up to 100 miles (160 km) inwards from any land or sea border. This can include operating interior checkpoints.
CBP assess all passengers flying into the U.S. for terrorist risk via the Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) and systems such as Advance Passenger Information System (APIS), United States Visitor and Immigrant Status Indication Technology (US-VISIT), and the Student and Exchange Visitor System (SEVIS). CBP also works with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to screen high-risk imported food shipments in order to prevent bio-terrorism and agro-terrorism.
Through the Container Security Initiative, CBP works jointly with host nation counterparts to identify and screen containers that pose a risk at the foreign port of departure before they are loaded on board vessels bound for the U.S. CSI is implemented in 20 of the largest ports in terms of container shipments to the U.S., and at a total of 58 ports worldwide.
The Secure Electronic Network for Travelers Rapid Inspection (SENTRI) program allows pre-screened, low-risk travelers from Mexico to be processed through dedicated lanes. NEXUS is a similar program on the country's northern border with Canada. Along both borders, CBP has implemented the Free and Secure Trade, which uses transponder technology and pre-arrival shipment information to process participating trucks as they arrive at the border. An agreement with Canada allows CBP to target, screen, and examine rail shipments headed to the U.S.
CBP is authorized to provide aerial surveillance outside of the border area "to assist law enforcement and humanitarian relief efforts" when requested by local, tribal, state or federal agencies. CBP drones have been used to capture images of storm-impacted areas for the National Weather Service; assess hurricane affected areas for FEMA; support immigration enforcement actions by ICE; and provide surveillance for local law enforcement during the 2015 Baltimore protests, the 2020 George Floyd protests, and the 2025 Los Angeles protests.
Office of Human Resources Management
Office of Training and Development
Office of Information and Technology
Office of International Affairs
Office of Congressional Affairs