How a U.S. Customs and Border Protection veteran sees his agency's mission

Ryan Riccucci, division chief of law enforcement operational programs for U.S. Customs and Border Protection, says he feels his agency is often misunderstood by the U.S. public. Here, he poses for a portrait in his office at the Tucson Sector headquarters in Arizona on March 26. (Ash Ponders for NPR)

TUCSON, Ariz. — U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent Ryan Riccucci was on patrol in the Baboquivari Mountains in Arizona, close to the U.S.-Mexico border, on a night in 2009.

The mountains are rugged and remote — an ideal route for people hoping to sneak narcotics into the U.S., according to Riccucci.