More Custom Agents To Be Hired At Arizona Ports Of Entry

By Peter O'Dowd
Published: Wednesday, April 2, 2014 - 6:11am
(Photo courtesy of Office of Sen. John McCain)
Sen. John McCain

The federal government will hire another 2,000 customs agents to work at American ports of entry. Some of those jobs will come to Arizona.

Arizona Sen. John McCain said there will be substantial staff increases at ports of entry in Douglas, San Luis and Nogales. Customs and Border Protection said there is money in the budget for the 2014 fiscal year to hire more agents at air, land and sea ports across the country. The agency has been pressured to improve delays at the border.

McCain said the average wait time for commercial trucks at the Mariposa port in Nogales, for example, is nearly 38 minutes. He said it is one of the worst wait times in the country. The U.S. government predicts travel into the United States will increase by more than 3 percent every year.