Two former Law Enforcement Explorers from Brownsville Border Patrol Station Post 2966 recently
graduated from the Border Patrol Academy and are currently in the Field Training Officer program at the Kingsville Station.
Agents Ricardo Hernandez and Ricardo Sauceda Jr. say their time as Explorers helped give them a head start at the academy.
“Everything as a whole, from handcuffing to commands, to how to do felony stops, building searches, 
shooting, everything helped,” said Agent Hernandez, who served as the Patrol Explorer in Charge of Post 2966.
He added that his time as an Explorer helped him decide if a career as a Border Patrol agent was right for him.
“Basically it was to expose myself to the job to see if I was going to like it or not and I definitely loved it,” Agent Hernandez said.
The Explorer program serves as a stepping stone for those wishing to pursue a career in law enforcement. It provides young people with a valuable opportunity to learn about law enforcement careers firsthand, while at the same time building their character and leadership abilities. Explorers receive training in techniques as well as in the mission and objectives of law enforcement agencies. The dedication of agents in the Rio Grande Valley Sector has led to a very successful Explorer program as seen in the numerous awards brought home by local Explorers from competitions throughout the state as well as by the transition of these two young men into Border Patrol agents.
“It helped fuel my interest to become part of the Border Patrol,” Agent Sauceda said. “It was a big eye opener for me to be exposed to a little bit of everything.”