U.S. goes abroad for border patrol agents

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WASHINGTON, April 14 (UPI) -- U.S. military veterans about to finish their overseas tours of duty are a prime recruiting target of the U.S. Border Patrol, an agency spokeswoman says.

Two teams of agency officers just returned from visiting six U.S. military bases in Germany where they convinced nearly 100 veterans to apply to join the Homeland Security Department as border agents, USA Today reported Monday.

President George Bush has said he wants the size of the Border Patrol to double to 20,000 agents by the time he leaves office in January 2009.

Since the drive to enlist more agents started, the Border Patrol has engaged in what some consider unconventional recruiting methods, USA Today says.

The agency plastered the agency's name on the side of a NASCAR racer and sent an honor guard to professional football games in Texas and Michigan.

Border Patrol spokeswoman Tara Dunlop says Saturday recruiters plan to blanket Ohio in a massive "Buckeye Blitz" that will cover the state's seven biggest cities.