Home to 5,609 federal homeland security and defense officers last year, Nebraska maintains its law and order through cooperation between law enforcement on all levels. Officers, deputies, and agents are tasked with a multitude of missions, and in recent operations they have been responsible for conducting raids for drugs, illegal immigrants, and weapons. Security is paramount to those entrusted with Nebraska’s federal law enforcement jobs, who work in a multitude of agencies each specializing in particular fields of expertise.
Candidates who are interested in pursing a career with one of these agencies can begin by finding out about associated training and education requirements. Because federal law enforcement jobs in Nebraska carry a high level of responsibility, only the best and most qualified applicants are selected for hire.
Preparing for Service as a Federal Law Enforcement Officer
Federal law enforcement agencies search for specialists from countless fields. Often times the minimum requirement for these is a bachelor degree in a relevant area such as IT, computer science, or business. Training for federal law enforcement jobs in Nebraska varies according to the agency, and prospective agents who would like to acquire a basic level of preparedness that also fulfills a minimum requirement for most positions are advised to consider obtaining a bachelor degree in any of the following:
- Homeland Security
- Forensics
- Law Enforcement
- Crime Scene Investigations
- Public Administration
- Law
- Public Safety
- Emergency Management
Applicants should be able to work well with collaborating partners as there is an emerging importance being placed on inter-agency partnerships which give task forces high levels of jurisdiction and expertise. Beneficial to federal law enforcement job growth are recent Homeland Security grants to Nebraska for just such collaborations, totaling $2,801,316 last year alone.
Recent Federal Law Enforcement Operations in Nebraska
Federal law enforcement agents are engaged in a constant battle to keep major criminals off of Nebraska’s streets. Some recent operations include the following:
- FBI Agents based out of the Omaha Field Office assisted agents from their New York Joint Bank Robbery Task Force in the arrest of a man accused of ambushing an Omaha armored truck guard after he had just picked up a shipment of valuables. The suspect is believed to have had three accomplices, and this operation highlights the efforts made by the FBI to counter violent robberies across the State of Nebraska.
- Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Agents of the Department of Homeland Security along with agents from the DEA recently acted on information provided in part by the CIA and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Officers to arrest 12 suspected members of the Must Be Criminal faction of the Sureños XIII in Omaha. As part of an operation with the Greater Omaha Safe Streets Task Force which included 180 law enforcement officers, it is now believed that the drug trafficking ring has been significantly disrupted.
- Three Omaha suspects were recently arrested after a DEA operation found $6,000 in cash, several firearms, a pound of processed marijuana and 88 cannabis plants on two of the suspects’ property. Besides cartels and gangs with international links, locally-produced illegal drugs also pose a huge challenge for federal and local law enforcement.
- Seven months after beginning with their first of more than 200 undercover operations, the DEA recently lead an offensive charging 55 suspects with gun-related crimes during raids across Omaha. The operation involved over 100 officers who made their way through the city raid-by-raid in a convoy of 11 vehicles. This was a multi-agency operation that involved US Marshals deputizing local law enforcement so they could temporarily join the ranks of the ATFE.
Federal Bases of Operation
Federal agents involved in these operations hailed from their respective field offices which are primarily located in Omaha and Lincoln:
- FBI Field Office in Omaha at 4411 South 121st Court
- US Marshals Offices in Omaha, Lincoln, and North Platte
- Nebraska Homeland Security Department in Lincoln at 1445 K Street
- Secret Service Field Office located in Omaha
- CBP Port of Entry in Omaha at Eppley Airfield
Federal law enforcement positions in Nebraska not only generate income through federal grants, they also contribute to the state’s economy by serving as a link with the intelligence agencies of the federal government and local law enforcement. This helps facilitate law and order across Nebraska, saving lives and money through operations that put criminals behind bars and allow the free market to continue unhindered. A successful application begins years before it is submitted, as candidates learn how to prepare for a future in federal law enforcement careers.