Marine Interdiction Agent

Summary

This position is covered by Law Enforcement Availability Pay (LEAP). LEAP is an additional compensation of 25% of the base salary and locality pay. See additional pay information in the Duties section. Organizational Location: This position is with the Department of Homeland Security, within U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Air and Marine Operations. Find us on LinkedIn at U.S. Customs and Border Protection #LI-CBPMIA

Duties

• Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is hiring for law enforcement jobs that have an exciting opportunity! Once onboarded, you'll first be assigned for up to one year to support the D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force. The law enforcement component of the D.C. Task Force is a partnership of over 20 federal and local agencies working together to make D.C. the safest city in America. Once the assignment ends, you'll transition back to support the CBP. Visit the D.C. Task Force page for more information. Applicants will be referred for selection consideration throughout the announcement open period. Further questions regarding the Marine Interdiction Agent position can be sent to the AMO Recruiters at [email protected] Serve as a Marine Interdiction Agent (MIA) performing Marine Law Enforcement operations for the detection, prevention, interdiction, and apprehension of terrorists, terrorist weapons, and other contraband and persons from illegally entering or attacking the United States. Your duties will include: Monitoring behavior patterns and activities of suspect persons, vehicles, or vessels believed to be engaged in illegal activities. Interpreting radar data to calculate appropriate intercept while tracking vessels and people to a successful interdiction. Searching persons, vessels, baggage, and cargo for contraband or weapons incidental to detention or arrest. Collecting, refining, and analyzing strategic and tactical intelligence. This is a career ladder position with a grade level progression of GL-9, GS-11, GS-12 & GS-13. You may be eligible for a promotion to the next higher grade level automatically (without re-applying) once you complete 52-weeks at each grade level, received supervisory approval, and possess the required licensing and certifications for that grade level. It is expected that all career Journeymen obtain the full performance level of GS-13. Licensing and certifications requirements for promotion to the next higher grade level are possession of a USCG MMC with one of the following capacities: GL-9 (OUPV, Mate, Chief Mate, Second Mate, Third Mate, Master). GS-11 (OUPV, Mate, Chief Mate, Second Mate, Third Mate, Master). GS-12 (OUPV, Mate, Chief Mate, Second Mate, Third Mate, Master); successful completion of the Tactical Boarding Officer (TBO) course at the National Marine Training Center (NMTC). GS-13 Master or Higher (Mate, Chief Mate, Second Mate, Third Mate) license of any tonnage or higher, 1 year of qualifying law enforcement experience AND the CBP Interceptor Vessel Commander (VC) certification with designation at the CBP National Marine Training Center (NMTC). Recruitment Incentive: New hires that are eligible may receive a one-time Recruitment Incentive payout of $10,000 after completing Federal Law Enforcement Training Academy (FLETC) (1 year service agreement will need to be completed) (Recruitment Incentive is only available to new Federal employees. Eligibility will be determined by Human Resources.)

Requirements

Qualifying Merchant Mariner Credentials (MMC), or a Merchant Mariner Licensing Division (MMLD) issued license You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this position Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered with Selective Service Primary U.S. residency for at least three of the last five years (additional details below) All pre-employment processes will be conducted in English You may be required to pass a background investigation and/or polygraph CBP follows the DHS Drug-Free Workplace Plan for drug testing procedures As an employee of CBP, you will be joining a workforce that is dedicated to accomplishing our mission while maintaining the trust of our Nation by strictly adhering to all government ethics standards. Your conduct will be subject to the ethics rules applicable to all Executive Branch employees, and to CBP employees specifically, as well as the criminal conflict of interest statutes. Once you enter on duty, these rules include obtaining approval for outside employment or business activity, to ensure such employment or business activity is not prohibited and does not interfere or conflict with performance of your official duties. Please review further details via the following link. Bargaining Unit: This position is not covered under the bargaining unit. DHS uses E-Verify, an Internet-based system, to confirm the eligibility of all newly hired employees to work in the United States. Learn more about E-Verify including your rights and responsibilities.

Qualifications

This position has a selective factor, as a minimum qualification requirement all candidates must have a qualifying Merchant Mariner Credential. See the U.S. Coast Guard Issued Merchant Mariner Credentials (MMC) section that is listed below for qualifying capacities. Experience: You qualify for the GL-9 grade level if you possess 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, performing duties such as: Enforcing, detecting, and apprehending violators of laws, and making arrests. Conducting interviews and interrogations with witnesses and suspects. Performing surveillance and writing reports detailing criminal activities. Collecting and securing evidence and providing testimony in court. You qualify for the GS-11 grade level if you possess 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level, performing duties such as: Applying advanced skill in controlling/commanding law enforcement scenes to include conducting searches, making arrests, processing arrests and seizure of evidence and property independently Conducting investigative inquiries using various techniques, examining files and records, physical and documentary evidence to identify logical conclusions and write comprehensive arrest, criminal and incident reports Utilizing cameras and other electronic high-tech surveillance equipment to gather evidence, collect, evaluate, and then preserve that physical and documentary evidence. Assisting government or state attorneys in preparation for court cases or grand juries, testifies as a law enforcement officer in court proceedings, and administrative forums. Applying arrest authorities and constitutional law in various alleged criminal situations, or knowledge and experience of CBP laws, regulations, policies, legal precedent. NOTE: Your resume must explicitly indicate how you meet this requirement, otherwise you will be found ineligible. Please see the "Required Documents" section below for additional resume requirements. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. OR Education Substitution GS-09: A Master's degree; or two full years of graduate education; or a J.D. or an LL.B in a related field. Education Substitution GS-11: A Ph.D.; or three full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree; or an LL.M in a related field. OR Combining Experience and Education: To combine your education and experience, you must convert each to a percentage and then add the percentages. The combined total of your percentage of education and experience must equal at least 100% in order to qualify. If your education is currently described in quarter hours, convert the quarter hours into semester hours by multiplying the quarter hours by the fraction 2/3. To calculate your percentage of graduate education, divide the number of graduate semester hours by 18. To determine your percentage of qualifying experience, you must divide your total number of months of qualifying experience by the required number of months of experience. Add your percentages of education and experience. The two percentages must total at least 100%. AND U.S. Coast Guard Issued Merchant Mariner Credentials (MMC): You must submit a valid, legible copy of your Merchant Mariner Credential at time of application. Your copies must include the expiration and capacity pages of your MMC. Qualifying Capacities are: Operator of Uninspected Passenger Vessel (OUPV), Mate of 200 gross tons or greater (Inland, Great Lakes, Near Coastal or Oceans), Chief Mate, Second Mate, and Third Mate Unlimited Oceans or Master of 25 GRT or greater (Inland, Great Lakes, Near Coastal or Oceans) -or- An Issued MMLD: You must submit proof of an issued MMLD, and a credential status that is in a unexpired standing. *It cannot be pending additional information for MMLD application process. *You must have your Official MMC Credential issued at the time of scheduling and at assessment appointment. Don't have an MMC? See what it takes to get one by viewing Application Acceptance Checklist at this link. You must meet all qualification requirements, including education if applicable to this position, subject to verification at any stage of the application process by 10/31/2026. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office. Background Investigation: U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is a federal law enforcement agency that requires all applicants to undergo a thorough background investigation prior to employment in order to promote the agency's core values of vigilance, service to country, and integrity. During the screening and/or background investigation process, you will be asked questions regarding any felony criminal convictions or current felony charges, the use of illegal drugs (e.g., marijuana, cocaine, heroin, LSD, methamphetamines, ecstasy), and the use of non-prescribed controlled substances including any experimentation, possession, sale, receipt, manufacture, cultivation, production, transfer, shipping, trafficking, or distribution of controlled substances. For additional information, review the following link: Applicant Resources | CBP Careers Polygraph Examination: The Marine Interdiction Agent position is a polygraph-required position. If you are not a current CBP employee in a law enforcement position, you may be required to take a polygraph exam and have favorable results in order to continue in the pre-employment process. Please see Applicant Resources | CBP Careers Polygraph Reciprocity: CBP may accept the results of a prior federal polygraph exam in lieu of a CBP polygraph exam. You will receive information to request reciprocity in your Background Investigation Package. Polygraph Waiver: Certain veterans may be eligible to obtain a polygraph waiver. You will receive information to request a waiver in your Background Investigation Package. Residency: There is a residency requirement for all applicants not currently employed by CBP. Individuals are required to have physically resided in the United States or its protectorates (as declared under international law) for at least three of the last five years. If you do not meet the residency requirement and you have been physically located in a foreign location for more than two of the last five years, you may request an exception to determine if you are eligible for a residency waiver by meeting one or more of the following conditions: Working for the U.S. Government as a federal civilian or as a member of the military A dependent who was authorized to accompany a federal civilian or member of the military who was working for the U.S. government Participation in a study abroad program sponsored by a U.S. affiliated college or university Working as a contractor, intern, consultant or volunteer supporting the U.S. government Probationary Period: All employees new to the federal government must serve a one year probationary period during the first year of his/her initial permanent federal appointment to determine fitness for continued employment. Current and former federal employees may be required to serve or complete a probationary period.

Education

Duty Locations: A duty location will be offered after successful completion of the pre-employment process. The duty location listed in the final offer letter may include any geographic location within the Northern Border Region, Southwest Region, Southeast Region or Caribbean Air and Marine Branch. Current possible duty locations include: Southeast Region: Miami, Marathon, and Key West FL Caribbean Air and Marine Branch (CAMB): Fajardo, Mayaguez, PR, and Saint Thomas, VI. Southwest Region: San Diego and Long Beach CA. Northern Border Region: Bellingham WA *Your opportunity for final selection is increased based on your flexibility to Enter on Duty at priority duty location* Limited Duty Locations - Applying to this JOA does not guarantee any of the locations listed below will still be available once you've completed the pre-employment process. Locations are offered based on the current needs of the service at that time. Southeast Region: Houma, LA. Southwest Region: San Diego, CA. Northern Region: Sault Saint Marie, MI. Please see the Qualifications and Required Documents sections for more information if education is applicable to this position. Are you qualifying based on education? Submit a copy of your college transcript (unofficial is acceptable at this time; however, official copies will be required prior to entrance on duty) or a list of coursework with hours completed provided from the institution. Education must be from an institution accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Education obtained from a foreign university or college is not creditable unless it has been evaluated by an organization that specializes in interpretation of education credentials. For a listing of some accrediting agencies see NACES | Credentials Evaluations Provided by NACES Members. See https://www.accreditation.info/education-quality/usa-recognition.html for more information. Rigorous Law Enforcement Officer Special Retirement Coverage: This is a rigorous position subject to mandatory retirement under the special retirement provisions for law enforcement officers under CSRS and FERS (5 CFR 842.803 and 5 CFR 831.903, Conditions for Coverage; 5 USC 8425(b) and 5 USC 8335(b), Mandatory Separation; and 5 USC 8412(d) and 5 USC 8336(c), Immediate Retirement). For more information on required years of service and retirement age, click on this link. For further information on when an employee continues or discontinues coverage under the special retirement system for law enforcement officers, please see the CSRS and FERS handbook, Chapter 46 (CSRS pages 12-14, and FERS pages 41-43). If you have questions regarding your retirement coverage provisions, please contact the CBP Retirement Operations Center at (202) 863-6180. Age Requirement: Provisions of Public Laws 93-350 and 100-238 allow the imposition of a maximum age for initial appointment to a primary Law Enforcement Officer position within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). In accordance with DHS Management Directive 251-03, the "day before an individual's 37th birthday" is the maximum age for original appointment to a position as a primary law enforcement officer within DHS. The age requirement is also necessary to ensure that you are able to complete the 20 years of applicable service for retirement. NOTE: The Commissioner of CBP has approved a temporary increase in the maximum allowable age to 40 for original placement into a Marine Interdiction Agent position. Unless the below criteria applies, you must meet this age requirement by 10/31/2026 AND enter-on-duty no later than the day prior to your 40th birthday in order to achieve the required 20 years of service for retirement. Creditable law enforcement officer service - Covered by Title 5 U.S.C. 8336(c) or Title 5 U.S.C. 8412(d), or creditable service covered by Title 5 U.S.C. 8401(36) (as a Customs and Border Protection Officer) on or after July 6, 2008, may be applied toward the maximum age requirement. This age restriction may not apply if you are currently serving in a federal civilian (not military) law enforcement position covered by Title 5 U.S.C. 8336(c) or Title 5 U.S.C. 8412(d). Veterans' Preference Eligibility - To ensure compliance with statutes pertaining to the appointment of preference eligible veterans as determined by the Merit Systems Protection Board in its decision Isabella v. Dept of State, the maximum age for original appointment articulated above shall not apply to the hiring of individuals entitled to veterans' preference eligibility under 5 U.S.C. 3312. You must submit proof of Veteran's Preference (DD-214 Member 4 Copy) at the time of application. The vacancy questionnaire includes four short, free-response essay questions. This provides an opportunity for you to highlight your dedication to public service for the hiring manager and agency leadership (or designee(s)). While your responses are not required and will not be scored, we encourage you to thoughtfully address each question. Please provide a response of 200 words or less to each question. You will be asked to certify that you are using your own words and did not use a consultant or artificial intelligence (AI) such as a large language model (LLM) like ChatGPT or Copilot. To preview the questionnaire please click the link https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13070412. Travel: Overnight travel may be required on a regular and recurring basis. In order to be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job.

Required documents

Your resume: A resume describing your job-related qualifications is required and will be used for the purpose of reviewing your qualifications and determining what training, if any, would be required when placed. A resume in English is required. It must contain your full legal name, phone number, complete work history including a detailed description of your duties, the dates you performed those duties (MM/DD/YY), your hours worked per week, job title, as well as series, grade, and salary (if applicable). For additional required items, see the link. It is recommended that you upload your resume as a PDF instead of a Word document to ensure document quality. Ensure that your uploaded resume is not a password protected document, including Office 365 passwords. Limit your resume to no more than two pages. The USAJOBS database will not allow an applicant to submit an application that includes a resume over two pages. REQUIRED U.S. Coast Guard Issued Merchant Mariner Credentials: You must submit a legible and current copy of your Merchant Mariner Credentials: OUPV, Mate of 200 gross tons or greater (Inland, Great Lakes, Near Coastal or Oceans), Chief Mate, Second Mate and Third Mate Unlimited Oceans or Master of 25 GRT or greater (Inland, Great Lakes, near Coastal or Oceans), or an MMLD with an issued status and unexpired credential. Your responses to the job questionnaire: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13070412 Age Requirement Documents: If over the age of 40 you must submit proof of eligibility for this position. If requesting an age waiver based on Federal law enforcement service; you must submit copies of your SF-50s reflecting the start and end dates of creditable Federal (not military) service. Block 30 of your SF-50 should show Retirement Code M, MF, MR, O, OF or OR. Your responses to the USA Hire Competency Based Assessment Age Waiver Documents: Applicants entitled to veteran's preference must submit proof of claim. See below for required documentation. Active Duty Applicants: Statement of Service (Certification letter): If currently on active duty, you must submit certification from the Armed Services. This certification should be on letterhead of the appropriate military branch of the service and contain (1) the military service dates including the expected discharge or release date; (2) campaign badges and expeditionary medals earned; and (3) the character of service. If you apply with a written statement at this stage, your preference will be verified by a Member -4 of your DD214 upon separation from the military. Are you a veteran? To apply veterans' preference you must submit proof of eligibility as appropriate for your preference type: Five Point Preference: DD214 listing the character of service and either qualifying medal(s) or service period. Ten Point Preference: DD214 showing character of service and supporting documentation listed on the Standard Form 15 (application for 10 Point Veterans' Preference). Submitting an SF-15 with your application is encouraged. Veterans with a service-connected disability must also submit a VA Disability Award letter dated 1991 or later, OR supporting documentation as listed in the SF-15. If you are currently serving on active duty, you must submit a written statement from the armed forces certifying your dates of service, rank, expected character of service, and anticipated date of separation. If you apply with a written statement at this stage, your preference will be verified by a DD 214 upon separation from the military. View more veterans' information. Are you claiming special priority selection rights under the Agency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP), Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP), or the Reemployment Priority List (RPL)? You must submit a separation notice; your most recent SF-50 (noting your current position, grade level and duty location); a copy of your recent performance rating; an agency certification that you cannot be placed after injury compensation has been terminated; an OPM notification that your disability annuity has been terminated; or a Military Department of National Guard Bureau notification that you are retired under 5 U.S.C. 8337(h) or 8456; or RPL registration documentation. Agency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) and Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) Eligibles: If you have never worked for the federal government, you are not CTAP/ICTAP eligible. View information about CTAP/ICTAP eligibility on OPM's Career Transition Resources website. To be considered eligible under CTAP/ICTAP, you must be placed in the Well-Qualified category for this position, as described above. In addition, you must submit the supporting documents listed under the Required Documents section of this job announcement.