Federal Agent and Intelligence Agency Analyst Jobs Move Toward a Southern Border Focus

Recent media reports have brought attention to the U.S. border with Mexico and the crisis brought about by an exploding and increasingly dangerous drug trade. Examples of this crisis include countless reports of local Mexican officials being murdered by those associated with the drug trade in Mexico. While much of the intelligence focus in the U.S. for the past seven years appears to have been upon the Middle East and South Asia, a crisis does exist on the U.S. southern border with Mexico and requires dedicated intelligence analysts and federal agents to ameliorate the situation. This article explains the current border crisis along with the Obama administration plan to address this situation, as well as some analysis on how intelligence agency –related jobs might be affected by this recent legislation.

The Crisis

The deterioration of security along the U.S.-Mexico border has increased significantly over the past year. Drug cartels, bolstered by the increasing U.S. demand for illegal drugs as well as the ease with which sophisticated weapons can be purchased in the U.S., are growing in influence throughout the border region. One report indicates that over 90% of drug cartel weapons originate from the U.S. and that around 90% of illegal drugs that come into the U.S. enter through Mexico.1 The “drug war” has been linked to around 7,000 deaths in the past sixteen months in the border region.2

U.S. Response

In early March, President Calderón of Mexico ordered over 7500 soldiers and 1700 federal officers into Ciudad Juarez, the Mexican city across the border from El Paso.3 In addition to the Mexican military bulking up its border presence, U.S. authorities are becoming more prominently involved in this crisis. The Obama administration recently announced a number of steps which would be taken to address this crisis:

- The Obama administration will spend close to $700 million in 2009 to work with Mexican law enforcement; around $30 million in stimulus funds will be applied to local and state law enforcement agencies along the border.

- The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that 360 agents will be sent to both Border Patrol and ICE units on the U.S./Mexican border, along with 100 ATF agents.

- DHS, the Department of Justice, and the Treasury Department are increasing efforts and personnel along the southwest U.S. border. This plan includes doubling border security task force teams, increasing the number of local law enforcement officers and intelligence analyst positions, tripling the number of DHS intelligence analysts working along the southwest border, and increasing ICE staff in the U.S. embassy in Mexico.

- The Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) will now allocate 29% of its domestic agent positions to southwest border field divisions, along with an increase in ATF agents. Furthermore, the FBI is creating a Southwest Intelligence Group, which will become a clearinghouse of all FBI activities related to Mexico.4

Southern border crisis effects upon Intelligence Agency Analyst and Federal Agent Jobs

Given the increase in attention and funding for southwest border security initiatives, intelligence agency jobs and federal agent job opportunities will be increasing significantly. This could mean that in the coming year, more openings for intelligence agency jobs and federal agent jobs that focus on border security will be available for qualified individuals that have the education and/or work experience to help this cause. Those individuals with a Spanish language background, regional experience, or specific functional experience or advanced education, such as a master’s degree in a security-related field will be in demand. Despite the current global economic crisis, U.S. government agencies such as DHS, FBI, and DEA, among others, will continue to hire individuals to fill intelligence agency-related jobs such as intelligence analysts as well as federal agent positions in order to mitigate the crisis brought about by illicit drug trade.

1 “U.S. Taking Steps to Control Violence on the Mexican Border,” New York Times, 25 March, 2009.
2 “Clinton Visits Mexico as Strains Show in Relations,” New York Times, 25 March, 2009.
3 “Mexico Bulks up Border Forces in Drug War,” USA Today online, 3 March, 2009.
4 “Obama Lays Out US-Mexico Border Strategy,” The Boston Globe, 24 March, 2009.