“Over time, when it became increasingly difficult to move people and drugs easily, they had to change tactics. Now the consequences of dropping whatever they have and fleeing is no longer acceptable – and the response to a Border Patrol agent is much different, as well. So we have special operations teams we put into the worst areas, applying the appropriate response to that elevated threat; that is built into our planning all along the Southwest border,” he said.

“By the nature of their work, Border Patrol agents are at high risk, but no more so than other law enforcement agents working along that border. And while we have not seen the horrific violence on the Mexican side here, what we have seen, as these criminal organizations have evolved and adapted their tactics, techniques, and procedures over the years, is an increase in violent tendencies.”

The USBP walks a sometimes-delicate line of cooperation with all other law enforcement agencies working the border, seeking the most productive joint planning and operations, while recognizing independent jurisdictions – and sovereignties, when dealing with those outside the United States. In recent years, that has meant moving more intelligence gathering and effort into areas previously dominated by criminal organizations. It also has meant taking steps now to deal with any future escalation.

“Every shift and muster, we talk about trends and tactics that might be used, what we’re seeing on both sides of the border. We remind our agents to vary their routes of travel and make sure their vests and weapons are in good shape and used,” noted Rio Grande Valley Sector Acting Chief Patrol Agent Woody Lee.

“We also have a really robust peer support program, so if someone is feeling pressure, they can serve as the bridge between us and professional counselors. All that is available to both our employees and their families.”

Everyone seeking to join the Border Patrol is first thoroughly briefed on the current dangers and hardships – as well as possible future threats – in patrolling borders that range from mountains, forests, and lakes in the north to harsh desert, thick underbrush, rivers, and the Gulf of Mexico in the south.

“I am amazed at the number of men and women who come into this every year, despite knowing the difficulties involved, because they are committed to protecting America,” Fisher said. “We recognize our responsibility to prepare them for that environment, so we make sure they are highly trained and well-equipped.

“We all understand law enforcement, as a profession, is extremely dangerous. And any success we hope to achieve in the future will be dependent on local, state, and federal agencies working collectively to mitigate any risks associated with those threats.”

U.S. law enforcement officials, at all levels, are far better paid, trained, and equipped than their Mexican counterparts, providing at least a partial barrier to some cartel methods. But they remain vulnerable to one of the most successful of those tactics – threatening the families of those they seek to coopt or neutralize.

“Part of our goal is governing the integrity of the Border Patrol itself. We come from a very proud tradition of protecting America and it is antithetical to accept, in any way, shape, or form, any lack of integrity in this organization. We build that into our strategies and hold supervisors and leaders to account for holding our workforce to the highest level of integrity,” Fisher said. “We start at the academy, and throughout an agent’s career, at the local sector level, they have integrity advisory counsels and ethics training.

“Twenty years ago, that was an area people felt very uncomfortable discussing and it was considered better to ignore it than address it directly. But now DHS and CBP have taken a head-on approach, discussing – and portraying on our websites – anyone who has been corrupted. As a result, Border Patrol agents now feel, if they do see other agents conducting themselves in ways not consistent with our core values, they have an affirmative duty to bring that to their supervisor’s attention. That is a change in the culture.”

While both Fisher and Lee said they have seen no evidence of cartel bribes or threats involving the Border Patrol or other U.S. agencies, they acknowledge there may have been isolated cases – and a definite potential in the years ahead.

“I’m concerned about a lot of potential threats in the future relating to transnational criminal organizations. Part of our effort is not just what they are doing today, but what they may do in six months or six years,” Fisher said. “We try to identify the most likely course of action they may utilize. And it certainly is not outside our contingency planning that they may try to corrupt Border Patrol and other officials as they do their duties.

“Ten years ago that might not have been necessary to even consider, but now we must plan in advance, prepare our officers in the field for such possibilities in the future and what courses of action to take if such an incident does occur. We can no longer just react, but must integrate our operations, planning, and execution with local, state, and tribal partners, here and in Mexico.”