3423 Interstate Highway 35
Cotulla, Texas 78014
Phone: (210) 242-1600
Fax: (210) 242-1660
The Cotulla Border Patrol Station operates as a back-up station to Laredo Sector's other stations. While complying with the National Border Patrol Strategy, the station's agents concentrate their efforts on freight train checks, roving patrols and signcutting. These duties are carried out on a daily basis to deter, detect and apprehend possible terrorists and their weapons of mass destruction. Because of the station's area of responsibility (AOR), it is possible for sign cutters to continually track one person, or a whole group, over the span of two to three days.
The Cotulla Station is tasked with patrolling approximately 6,000 square miles of ranches, brush, farm-to-market roads and interstate highways. The Cotulla Station's operational area lies within five counties: La Salle, Frio, Atascosa, Karnes and Wilson. In addition to Laredo Sector, the station also covers traffic from Del Rio Sector, which challenges the station's agents with two different prosecuting entities with different prosecutorial guidelines.
The station's responsibilities have continued to increase over the years, especially with the North American Free Trade Agreement, which has exponentially increased the traffic on Interstate Highway 35. I-35 is one of the largest corridors in the United States linking Mexico with popular metropolitan areas, such as San Antonio, Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston and the rest of the United States. As a result, these destinations continue to be desirable locations for smuggling illegal aliens and illegal contraband.
Given these responsibilities, the Cotulla Station continues to improve its working relationships with local law enforcement entities and continues to serve as an important asset to the law enforcement mission. Local law enforcement agencies have benefited from the increased number of Cotulla agents and the use of contraband detecting canines.
The Cotulla Station is a state of the art facility that opened for operations in September 2000 and is currently located at the 72.5 mile-marker on I-35, midway between San Antonio and Laredo.