▁rural ▁command ▁were ▁assigned ▁to ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁front ier ▁posts ▁scattered ▁at ▁twenty - se ven ▁critical ▁points ▁along ▁the ▁borders ▁and ▁at ▁river ▁and ▁lake ▁ports ▁of ▁entry . ▁They ▁included ▁Custom s ▁Police ▁integral ▁to ▁the ▁corps , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁uniform ed ▁car ab ine ers ▁concerned ▁with ▁comb ating ▁sm ugg ling ▁and ▁other ▁forms ▁of ▁illegal ▁border ▁crossing . ▁The ▁car ab ine ers ▁were ▁also ▁heavily ▁involved ▁in ▁civ ic ▁action ▁in ▁the ▁more ▁remote ▁and ▁less ▁populated ▁regions ▁of ▁the ▁country . ▁In ▁an ▁effort ▁to ▁improve ▁its ▁public ▁relations , ▁the ▁police ▁created ▁the ▁Department ▁of ▁Social ▁Communic ation ▁( Dep art amento ▁de ▁Comun icación ▁Social ) ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 8 0 s . ▁ ▁Corps ▁personnel ▁were ▁class ified ▁in ▁three ▁distinct ▁groups : ▁uniform ed ▁personnel ▁( car ab ine ers ); ▁technical ▁and ▁auxili ary ▁personnel ; ▁and ▁civil ian ▁police ▁investig ators ▁and ▁identification ▁personnel . ▁R anks ▁of ▁uniform ed ▁personnel ▁generally ▁correspond ed ▁to ▁those ▁of ▁the ▁army . ▁There ▁were ▁four ▁general ▁class ifications je f es ▁( field ▁officers ), ▁oficial es ▁( company ▁officers ), ▁cl ases ▁( N CO s ) ▁trop as ▁( priv ates ) with ▁a ▁grad ed ▁system ▁of ▁rank ▁within ▁each ▁class . ▁Un iform ed ▁personnel ▁were ▁promoted ▁on ▁the ▁basis ▁of ▁annual ▁exam in ations ▁given ▁when ▁they ▁att ained ▁the ▁required ▁time ▁in ▁grade , ▁which ▁was ▁usually ▁four ▁years ▁for ▁all