MARFA, Texas — Protecting the Texas border near Big Bend comes with challenges. There is rough terrain, hot temperatures and dangerous situations.
"You may face some dangers from a criminal element," said Chief Patrol Agent Sean McGoffin. "Often times they will have weapons and they're armed and don't want to be caught. They're already criminals as it is and that presents a problem within itself."
Border patrol utilizes all the resources they can. This includes technology to find people crossing the border, beacons to rescue people who might be in distress, horses to traverse the rough terrain and dogs to help find people and contraband.
"It's not an easy job, it's a lot of area to cover and we do it in so many different ways," said McGoffin.
It is also not a job for the faint of heart.
"People when they come into this country and do so illegally, that's against the law," said McGoffin. "But our job is to make sure we come in, treat them with the greatest respect. And often times we see them in the most horrendous and distressful situations, and it's heartbreaking for us because we have to see that and we have to see what the smugglers are doing by leaving them behind, often times injured or dying."
They also work with other law enforcement agencies to keep the border secure
"All across our area, which is 517 miles of border, it encompasses thousands and thousands of miles, so we work with our partners not only on what's going on right now, but potentially long-term," said McGoffin.
It takes all the different men and women who are part of border patrol to help keep people in Texas and throughout the country safe.
"It's an honor for all of our border agents to secure our country, and I don't think that story gets told enough," said McGoffin "It's an honor for us to serve our country. We're committed to this job, we believe in our mission, even when others don't, and we do so because we know the preservation of life and the help we give everyday goes above and beyond what we're just called to do."