CHL and the USBP

[Highside]

Greetings:

As my possible relocation to the Coastal Bend area begins to firm up, I have some new questions for local residents...

It appears that I will be frequently traveling from the Corpus area to Harlingen, Edinburg and McAllen in the normal course of business.

My question is directed to those CHL holders who travel up US 281 and US 77 and must pass through US Border Patrol checkpoints while carrying personal protection.

Is the protocol the same when encountering USBP personnel as you would when encountering state Law Enforcement officers (i.e. presenting DL and CHL licenses)?

I have worked in/at many of these facilities in a previous career but did not have a CHL during those visits thus I have zero experience what to expect.

Any folks have any stories they'd like to share? Other advice?

Thanks!

Highside
Round Rock, Tx.

 

[Texan2]

most of the time USBP will simply ask if you are a U.S. citizen and wave you through.....they dont even give you a chance to say anything. keep in mind that a huge percentage of the vehicles that go through the checkpoints are armed. If you get directed to the secondary inspection area, they will probably ask if you have any weapons....at that point I would tell em what I got.

 

[txinvestigator]

And......Border Patrol are not Peace Officers as defined in the Code of Criminal Procedure and not to whom you are required to display your CHL if you are demanded to ID yourself to a Peace Officer or Magistrate.

As stated, if asked if I had any weapons I would be honest.

 

[tad]

I roll thru the checkpoints making deliveries for my tree farm all the time, you wont have to declare anything other than who you are and where your headed.
if they did pull you over to secondary, I would as suggested above tell them that your carrying and present them the ID as a courtesy!!

 

[Highside]

Thanks for the replies!

It sounds like my concerns were ill-founded...

-Highside

 

[Highside]

Alas, my concerns about carrying weapons through the checkpoint were indeed ill-founded... After traveling through the US-77 Checkpoint well over a dozen times now, not once have I been asked about weapons.

The work vehicle assigned to me is a typical work van with side and rear doors with windows. ONLY ONCE did they peer through the rear windows using a flashlight to illuminate the cargo area.

In EVERY CASE they ran the drug dog by the vehicle.

Herein lies the problem: They are definitely more interested in drugs than they are catching illegal aliens. Hypothetically, I could have had illegal aliens, oops, sorry... undocumented workers in the cargo area, stacked up like cord wood and (hypothetically) gotten away with it 11 out of 12 times.

I'm sorry but I have a real problem with this! While I don't have the spare time to visit the secondary inspection area, I do expect them to open a door or two and look inside, every time!!!!

Usually, the first question is "US Citizen?" and my customary reply is "Absolutely!!!!". Next is "Where you coming from?" then "Where 'ya headed?"...

My most recent trip through there, just days ago, yielded a solitary question: "What do you do for a living?" - Seriously? How is that any of his business? I answered and received a prompt "Have a good day"...

These visits have been scattered out over the last two months or so. It's clear to me that the US Border Patrol is primarily interested in drugs at this location.

So, to all you coyotes out there, no fear! Load 'em up and proceed up US 77 without a concern...

Unreal...

Highside

 

[Texasjack]

I've never gotten more than a few questions and then a wave through. They get a LOT of hunters through there and the locals are all armed. Not a big deal.

 

[San Antone RR]

The question about your job is probably just ti gauge your reaction. Unexpected question might throw off someone up to no good.

 

[A_FIVE-O]

most of the time USBP will simply ask if you are a U.S. citizen and wave you through.....they dont even give you a chance to say anything. keep in mind that a huge percentage of the vehicles that go through the checkpoints are armed. If you get directed to the secondary inspection area, they will probably ask if you have any weapons....at that point I would tell em what I got.

+1, but I wouldn't do what this Pastor did at an Arizona USBP Checkpoint below:

 

[SIG_Fiend]

Papers please.

 

[KAK]

It's like we are seceeding parts of tx to Mexico when they put these checkpoints 50 miles from the border.