(Article courtesy of Tactical Life)
In the wake of the September 11, 2001, attacks, many in our nation felt that a porous patchwork of law enforcement and intelligence efforts left too many doors open for terrorists and criminals to exploit.
In order to better coordinate and control that patchwork, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was created. This new Cabinet-level department brought together agencies from many other Cabinet-level departments, all with a focus on securing the border and protecting our homeland.
The marquee-named agencies of the Secret Service and Border Patrol were brought in. The Coast Guard was moved from the Department of Transportation to the DHS due to its maritime security missions. The legacy U.S. Customs and Immigration and Naturalizations Services were taken apart, and the investigative elements were molded together to create the new Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) while the uniformed elements were formed into Customs and Border Protection (CBP). The DHS also received the later additions of the Federal Protection Service (FPS) and Federal Air Marshal Service (FAMS) under the TSA.
Continue reading on Tactical Life
Photo courtesy of Tactical Life