Increasing the security of the borders in The United States became top priority following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. In 2002, 22 federal agencies were united to form The Department of Homeland Security to oversee the security of the country within and outside its borders.US Custom Border Protection (CBP) is an agency/department of The Department of Homeland Security that perform inspections in border and ports of entry. CBP officers and agents welcome all legitimate travelers and trade while preventing the entry of terrorists and their weapons. CBP law enforcement professionals enforce U.S. law, stopping narcotics, agricultural pests and smuggled goods from entering the country. They also identify and arrest travelers with outstanding criminal warrants.[1: http://www.dhs.gov/]The number of U.S. Border Patrol agents has risen from fewer than 3,000 to more than 20,700; nearly 700 miles of fencing have been built along the southern border with Mexico; and surveillance systems, including pilotless drones, now monitor much of the rest of the border. In a speech in El Paso, Texas, in May, U.S. President Barack Obama claimed that the United States had "strengthened border security beyond what many believed was possible." Yet according to spring 2011 Rasmussen poll, nearly two-thirds of Americans think the border is no more, or even less, secure than it was five years ago. Some administration critics claim that the United States' frontiers have never been more porous. [2: Are U.S. Borders Secure? (2011, June 16). Foreign Affairs. Retrieved February 4, 2014, from http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/67901/edward-alden-and-bryan-roberts/are-us-borders-secure]The border of about 2,000 miles between the United States and Mexico has become a symbol of the hot-button political issues between the two countries, especially illegal immigration to the United States, trade, drug and gun trafficking across the border. In 2006 the Government approved the construction of a border fence aimed to stop illegal immigrants from crossing the border, drug smugglers and other illegal activities such as arm trafficking, and animals. Recently, A deep tunnel snaking nearly 600 yards from Mexico under the border and into a San Diego warehouse is one of the most sophisticated underground drug smuggling passageways ever discovered, complete with electricity, ventilation and an electronic rail system, federal authorities said Thursday. Mexican security officials stood guard Thursday outside a factory in Tijuana where the tunnel's starting point was discovered. The tunnel, which was shut down Wednesday night after several weeks of surveillance, took about a year to build, the authorities said. Three people were taken into custody, and federal agents seized eight tons of marijuana and 325 pounds of cocaine they said was connected to the investigation. As security at the border - both at the ports of entry and between them - has heightened in recent years, drug...
