2136 South Naco Highway
Bisbee, AZ 85603
Phone: (520) 432-5121
Fax: (520) 432-5219
History
The Brian A. Terry Border Patrol Station (formerly Naco Border Patrol Station) is one of eight Border Patrol Stations within the Tucson Border Patrol Sector, located in Tucson Sector's East Corridor. It is named after U.S. Border Patrol Agent Brian A. Terry, who was killed on December 15, 2010.
Since the times of the American/Indian Wars (specifically with the Chiricahua Apaches) and the 10th Cavalry's Buffalo Soldiers, the areas of Naco and Cochise County Arizona has been known as an active zone in the protection of the United States Borders. The Buffalo Soldiers would deploy and patrol the areas of Naco and Cochise County, Arizona from their main garrison and headquarters in Fort Huachuca, Arizona from 1877 to 1886. The area was also patrolled and protected by units of the United States Army under the command of Brigadier General John J. Pershing during the period of 1915 to 1917 in their attempts to defend the United States against the incursions of Pancho Villa and his rebel army.
The Naco, Arizona area has always had a Border Patrol presence, since before 1924, when the patrol was known as the Mounted Inspectors. The many ranches and farms of the area provided a draw to illegal aliens looking for work, and farm and ranch check was performed by agents as they went about their duties. In the 1930's and 40's, Nogales agents would arrive periodically in Naco to perform operations, and the aliens apprehended would be put on trains and returned to Nogales, Sonora after being processed at the Naco Port of Entry.
This arrangement continued sporadically until Douglas Agents began to work the area as part of their territory. Naco did not have a permanent U.S. Border Patrol presence until 1982, when Douglas Agents began to work this area from a sub-station at the port of entry in Naco. It patrolled the International Boundary west of Paul Spur to the Huachuca Mountains and the territories north up to I-10.
As of early February 1989, the Brian A. Terry Border Patrol Station has operated as an independent station within the Tucson Border Patrol Sector. Agents are assigned to patrol and enforcement duties. The Brian A. Terry Border Patrol Station and its agents recorded the most apprehensions in the Nation for three consecutive years from 2001 to 2003. As of May, 2007, it was still considered one the busiest stations in terms of apprehensions within the United States Border Patrol.
Area of Responsibility
The Brian A. Terry Border Patrol Station's area of responsibility (AOR) is located within the Cochise County in south east Arizona covering approximately 1,175 square miles. This includes 32.5 miles of International Boundary with the areas of Agua Prieta, Sonora, Mexico, Naco, Sonora, Mexico, and Cananea, Sonora, Mexico.
Sections of the Dragoon Mountain ranges, Mule Mountain ranges, Huachuca Mountain Ranges, and the Whetstone Mountain ranges are included in the Station's AOR and includes a large part of the Coronado National Forest and its canyons. The San Pedro River starts in Mexico, flowing north into the United States through the Brian A. Terry Border Patrol Station's AOR near Palominas, Arizona.