Significant numbers of illegal aliens began entering the U.S. on private aircraft in the late 1950s. In cooperation with other federal services, the Border Patrol began tracking suspect flights. During the Cuban missile crisis of the early 1960s, Cuban defectors living in Florida flew aircraft out over the ocean in an effort to harass their former homeland. The American government made this harassment illegal, and assigned the Border Patrol to prevent unauthorized flights. The Patrol added 155 officers, but discharged 122 of them when the crisis ended in 1963.
The early 1960s also witnessed aircraft-hijacking attempts and President John F. Kennedy ordered Border Patrol agents to accompany domestic flights to prevent takeovers. The Miami Sector of the Border Patrol coordinated the effort. By that time the business of alien smuggling began to involve drug smuggling also. The Border Patrol assisted other agencies in intercepting illegal drugs from Mexico. Read more on Border Patrol Study Guide.