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Arturo "Art" Velez and John James "JJ" Carrell are a team of Border Patrol Agents on The Amazing Race 20 and a team of Best Friends on The Amazing Race 31.

In The Amazing Race 20, the border patrol agents immediately formed a bond with Rachel & Dave over their shared law enforcement background with Dave. The alliance went on to dominate the race, regularly finishing in the top two in multiple legs, with Art & JJ winning three of them on their way to the final leg. They, however, also got into several confrontations with Brendon & Rachel, whom they derided and dismissed as followers. JJ, in particular, had a tendency to look down on other teams, making several condescending comments about their racing abilities. Though they initially fell to last place in the final leg, they managed to work their way back into the lead heading into the last task before the Finish Line. Art, however, struggled at that Roadblock, allowing Rachel & Dave to pass them for the win, leaving the border patrol agents to come in 2nd place.

Returning in The Amazing Race 31, Art & JJ seemed to have lost the competitive edge that made them successful the first time out, trailing in last throughout the first leg. Despite their struggles, they unwittingly passed Rupert & Laura heading into the second Roadblock to give them a fighting chance. However, this opportunity was quickly squandered when Art started suffering from leg cramps, rendering him unable to complete the task and leading to the border patrol agents to take a four-hour penalty. This allowed Rupert & Laura to catch up and pass them, leading to Art & JJ becoming the first team to be eliminated.

Profile[]

Retrieved from CBS.com[1][2]

Art[]

Age: 43
Hometown: Temecula, Calif.
Connection to your teammate: Friend/Co-worker
Current occupation: Border Patrol Agent
Describe what you do: I tell others what to do, how to do it, and I prevent illegal immigrants from entering the country.
How will these skills help you win The Race? I have the ability to adapt, adjust, overcome and make split second command decisions.
Three words to describe you: Funny, hilarious and good looking.
Favorite hobbies: Shooting guns in competition, golfing and smoking/cooking meats.
What famous person reminds you of yourself? Ben Affleck
What famous person reminds you of your teammate? David "The Hoff" Hasselhoff
What is the accomplishment you are most proud of?  My incredible son and my marriage.
What scares you most about traveling? Getting arrested in a foreign country.
What excites you most about traveling? Experiencing different cultures.
Biggest challenge you and your teammate will face on The Race together: My partner needs to understand and learn that not everyone in the world is stupid.
Pet peeve about your teammate: His botox shots, plucked eyebrows and those loafers.
What country and place would you most like to visit and why? Spoke highly of New Zealand and they were wonderful people.
What do you hope to accomplish by running The Race (other than winning one million bucks)? I want to see my partner cry on national television because I am his boss and he is a wuss.

JJ[]

Age: 42
Hometown: Carlsbad, Calif.
Connection to your teammate: Friend/Co-worker
Current occupation: Border Patrol Agent
Describe what you do: I supervise an anti-smuggling group of 20 agents in the United States Border Patrol.
How will these skills help you win The Race? I have to make quick and decisive decisions.  I also have to think clearly and make sound decisions under extreme pressure.
Three words to describe you: Honest, funny and solid.
Favorite hobbies: Going to the beach, reading and working out.
What famous person reminds you of yourself? Goose in "Top Gun."
What famous person reminds you of your teammate? The Tasmanian Devil.
What is the accomplishment you are most proud of? Adopting my son.
What scares you most about traveling? Getting sick.
What excites you most about traveling? Experiencing other people and cultures.
Biggest challenge you and your teammate will face on The Race together: We always yell at each other. We need a smooth communication pattern.
Pet peeve about your teammate: His stupid gold chain that holds his badge.
What country and place would you most like to visit and why? New Zealand, because I want to experience the people and the culture.

What do you hope to accomplish by running The Race (other than winning one million bucks)? A better working relationship and better communication.

Previous season: The Amazing Race 20

Art Velez[]

Age: 49
Hometown: Temecula, California
Current occupation: Federal Agent
Describe what you do: Arrest criminals entering the country illegally and those smuggling illegal contraband.
Three words to describe you: Humorous, outgoing, and positive.
Favorite hobbies: Competitive shooting, golfing, and barbecuing.
What is the accomplishment you are most proud of? My son attending the U.S. Naval Academy.
What scares you most about traveling? Getting arrested.
What excites you most about traveling? Exploring new wonders.
What country and place would you most like to visit and why? New Zealand to see the Southern Lights.
What do you hope to accomplish by running the Race with your partner (other than winning one million bucks)? Travel to new places, experience different cultures, and meet new people.
Who do you think will be your biggest competition: Racers, Houseguests, or Castaways? Racers!

JJ Carrell[]

Age: 49
Hometown: San Marcos, California
Current occupation: Border Patrol Agent / Immigration Enforcement
Describe what you do: I am a Watch Commander (LT in police) in the USBP. Enforce Immigration Law.
Three words to describe you: Loyal, strong, and determined.
Favorite hobbies: Playing football, taking my son to the skate park, and coaching my son in sports.
What is the accomplishment you are most proud of? Adopting my son Joseph.
What scares you most about traveling? Being stuck somewhere with no way out.
What excites you most about traveling? Everything about experiencing new cultures, sights, smells, and people.
What country and place would you most like to visit and why? Russia, because of the history.
What do you hope to accomplish by running the Race with your partner (other than winning one million bucks)? Seeing the world through the eyes of the Race. Fast, overwhelming, and exciting.

Who do you think will be your biggest competition: Racers, Houseguests, or Castaways? Racers.

The Amazing Race 20[]

Race History[]

Art & JJ's Race History
Episode Leg Destination(s) Detour Choice
(underlined)
Roadblock
Performer
Placement Notes
1 1 United States → Argentina No Detour Art 3 of 11
2 2 Argentina Boil My Water / Light My Fire JJ 2 of 10
3 3 Argentina → Paraguay Stacked Up / Strung Out Art 1 of 9
4 4 Paraguay → Italy Used Fast Forward 1 of 8
5 5 Italy → Germany Fairy Tale / Champion Male JJ 1 of 8
6 6 Germany → Azerbaijan Apples / Oil JJ 2 of 7
7 7 Azerbaijan → Tanzania Marksmanship / Courtship No Roadblock 3 of 6
8 8 Tanzania Water Supply / Air Supply Art 3 of 6
9 9 Tanzania → India Cricket / Clutch It JJ 3 of 5
10 10 India Pachyderm / Pack a Box Art 4 of 5
11 11 India → Japan Bingo Shout-Out / Photo Cut-Out Art 2 of 4
12 Japan → United States No Detour JJ 2 of 3 [1]
Art
Average 2.25
Legend:
     The team finished in first place
     The team finished in last place and was eliminated from the race
     The team finished in last place in a non-elimination leg
     The team that won The Amazing Race
     The team that crossed the Finish Line second
     The team that crossed the Finish Line third
The team used the Fast Forward pass
ϵ The team used the Express Pass somewhere during the leg
The team used the U-Turn
Recipient of the U-Turn
The team that used the second slot of the "Double U-Turn"
Recipient of a second U-Turn due to the "Double U-Turn" twist

Notes:
1: Leg 12 had two Roadblocks and no Detour. The team member who sat out the first Roadblock was required to perform the second one.

The Amazing Race 31[]

Race History[]

Art & JJ's Race History
Episode Leg Destination(s) Detour Choice
(underlined)
Roadblock
Performer
Placement Notes
1 1 United States → Japan No Detour JJ 11 of 11 [2][3]
Art
Average 11.00
Legend:
     The team finished in first place
     The team finished in last place and was eliminated from the race
     The team finished in last place in a non-elimination leg
     The team that won The Amazing Race
     The team that crossed the Finish Line second
     The team that crossed the Finish Line third
The team used the U-Turn
Recipient of the U-Turn
The team that used the second slot of the "Double U-Turn"
Recipient of a second U-Turn due to the "Double U-Turn" twist
The team that lost the Double Battle

Notes:
2: Leg 1 had two Roadblocks and no Detour. The team member who sat out the first Roadblock was required to perform the second one.
3: Art decided to forfeit the second Roadblock and was issued a 4-hour penalty at the Roadblock site starting from the arrival of the next team.

Post-Race[]

Trivia[]

External links[]

Interviews[]

Season 20[]

  • Susan Gonzales at Yakkity Yaks (05/09/2012): "The Amazing Race: The Yak Chats with 2nd Place Winners Art and JJ!"
  • Elimination Interviews at CBS.com (05/08/2012): "Elimination Interview: Art & JJ"
  • Daniel Fienberg at Hitfix.com (05/10/2012): "The second place border agents discuss their Race journey"
  • Catriona Wightman at Digital Spy (05/08/2012): "It just wasn't our day"
  • Gina Scarpa at Reality Wanted (05/08/2012): "The Amazing Race 20: Exclusive Interview with Art Velez and JJ Carrell"
  • Reg Seeton at The Deadbolt (05/08/2012): "Reliving The Amazing Race with Art Velez and J.J. Carrell"
  • Elizabeth Kwiatkowski at Reality TV World (05/09/2012): "Exclusive: Art Velez and J.J. Carrell talk 'The Amazing Race" [Parts 1 & 2]
  • Joyce Eng at TV Guide Online (05/08/2012): "We Don't Care If People Think We're Jerks"

Season 31[]

  • Elizabeth Kwiatkowski at Reality TV World (04/2019): "Exclusive: Art Velez and J.J. Carrell talk 'The Amazing Race'" (Parts 1, 2, and 3)
  • Mike Bloom at Parade.com (04/19/2019): "The Amazing Race 31: Art Velez and J.J. Carrell on the Hills and Valleys of the Race "
  • Joyce Eng at Gold Derby (04/19/2019): "Art and JJ ('Amazing Race' exit interview): This was the 'absolute nightmare scenario'"

Social Media Profiles[]


References[]

The Amazing Race 20 Teams
 Art & JJ
Border Patrol Agents
S20 ArtJJ
 Bopper & Mark
Best Friends
S20 BopperMark
 Brendon & Rachel
PhD Student & Event Hostess
S20 BrendonRachel
 Dave & Cherie
Married Clowns
S20 DaveCherie
 Joey & Danny
Trainer & Club Promoter
S20 JoeyDanny
 Kerri & Stacy
Cousins
S20 KerriStacy
 Misa & Maiya
Sisters
S20 MisaMaiya
 Nary & Jamie
Federal Agents
S20 NaryJamie
 Rachel & Dave
Army Wife/Combat Pilot
S20 RachelDave
 Vanessa & Ralph
Dating Divorcees
S20 VanessaRalph
The Amazing Race 31 Teams
 Art & JJ
Best Friends
S31 ArtJJ
 Becca & Floyd
Friends
S31 BeccaFloyd
 Chris & Bret
Friends
S31 ChrisBret
 Colin & Christie
Life Partners
S31 ColinChristie
S31 CorinneEliza
 Leo & Jamal
Cousins
S31 LeoJamal
S31 NicoleVictor
S31 RachelElissa
S31 RupertLaura
 Tyler & Korey
Best Friends
S31 TylerKorey
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