Not only must federal law enforcement officers in Wyoming contend with large-scale attacks, they must also keep criminals that traffic in drugs, humans, and weapons in check. This is accomplished through joint collaborations between federal and local law enforcement agencies, funded through programs like a recent $2,801,316 Homeland Security grant that helps to maintain around 1,200 federal defense forces stationed strategically throughout the state.
Federal law enforcement careers in Wyoming are based out of a number of strategic locations across the state:
- Wyoming Office of Homeland Security in Cheyenne at 5500 Bishop Boulevard
- US Marshals offices in:
- Mammoth
- Jackson
- Lander
- Casper
- Cheyenne
- US Secret Service Office in Cheyenne
- DEA offices in:
- Casper
- Cheyenne
- ATF offices in:
- Cheyenne
- Lander
- Customs and Border Protection Port of Entry at the Natrona County Airport
Planning Ahead for Wyoming Federal Law Enforcement
Learning about required education and training for federal law enforcement jobs in Wyoming in advance is a great strategy to prepare for a successful career. The federal entities operating within the state each have their own unique functions so candidates should learn the specifics of the agencies in which they are interested. However having a four-year bachelor’s degree in any of the following subjects will provide candidates with a fundamental foundation and meet the basic educational job qualifications for all federal law enforcement jobs:
- Public Administration
- Law
- Homeland Security
- Forensic Science
- Public Safety
- Emergency Management
- Crime Scene Investigation
- Police Science
Additional specialized degrees for specific positions can be virtually in any subject area, including business, the sciences, or technology.
Federal Law Enforcement Response to Terror Threats in Wyoming
As any federal law enforcement officer knows, terrorists can potentially see anything as a target. To the average person Wyoming’s vast plains and canyons may not seem like viable objectives, but as an FBI investigation revealed, one man was recently planning to blow up a natural gas refinery in the state. The investigation leading up to the man’s arrest involved a private citizen working with the FBI who posed as an extremist to lure the would-be terrorist to divulge his explosive plot. He was arrested when he attempted to pick up $40,000 to pay for his scheme.
Yellowstone National Park is also a viable terrorist target for which federal law enforcement agencies have drawn up contingency plans. Although some highly-imaginative theorists have predicted a nuclear attack that would trigger a massive volcanic eruption, and it is true that Yellowstone is a supervolcano, a much more likely scenario would be an attack aimed at causing casualties and damage, as the park brings millions of dollars in tourism each year to the local economy.
Criminal Focus in Wyoming
More common than terrorist events are criminal activities dealing with drugs, immigration, and firearms. Some recent examples include:
- ATF Agents recently procured enough evidence to secure the convictions of three Wyoming residents, two for being felons in possession of a firearm, and the other for illegally manufacturing a firearm. The three convicted men were from Ranchester, Mills, and Cheyenne.
- Agents from the DEA’s Cheyenne Office recently arrested 13 suspects on charges relating to illegal drugs. The operation was part of a major take-down of a significant drug smuggling ring stretching from Mexico to Denver that dealt in marijuana, cocaine, and methamphetamine. ICE Agents also participated in the raid.
- Besides protecting high-level politicians, the US Secret Service actually devotes most of its time to enforcing and investigating crimes involving currency. This was demonstrated in a recent investigation conducted by the Secret Service in Cheyenne in response to a man in possession of $1,200-worth of counterfeit $50 bills. It would turn out that the suspect printed the fake money off his computer and planned to hire dancers to come to his hotel room and pay them with the counterfeit bills. He now faces 20 years in prison.
- After a 15-year-old girl told investigators she was sexually assaulted by the pastor of a Utah religious sect, who told her she would be blessed for the act, US Marshals arrested the man near Thermopolis. An investigation into the religious sect revealed multiple minors may be involved, and that the Holy Ghost of the Church of the Firstborn of the General Assembly of Heaven may also be responsible for making threats against Barack Obama, George W. Bush, and the president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. The sect moved to Wyoming after being raided by federal law enforcement agents in Utah.