US Coast Guard deploys additional cutters, aircraft, and boats to borders to support presidential executive orders

US Coast Guard forces are being surged to Alaska, pictured here, and other key maritime border locations. (Janes/Michael Fabey)

The US Coast Guard (USCG) is immediately increasing the number of cutters, aircraft, and other assets it deploys to “key” border areas to support executive orders signed by President Donald Trump soon after he was sworn in on 20 January, the service said in a statement on 21 January.

“Per the President's Executive Orders, I have directed my operational commanders to immediately surge assets – cutters, aircraft, boats, and deployable specialized forces – to increase coast guard presence and focus,” Admiral Kevin Lunday, USCG acting commandant, said in the statement.

Adm Lunday was named acting commandant on 21 January after Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Benjamin Huffman relieved Admiral Linda Fagan as commandant, according to a USCG leadership-change alert sent that morning. No reason was given for the command being taken from Adm Fagan, the first woman to be a uniformed officer in charge of a US armed service.

Adm Lunday said the surge would start with the following key areas: the southeast US border approaching Florida to deter and prevent a maritime mass migration from Haiti and/or Cuba; the maritime border around Alaska, Hawaii, the US territories of Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands; the maritime border between the Bahamas and south Florida; the southwest maritime border between the US and Mexico in the Pacific; and the maritime border between Texas and Mexico. It will also support Customs and Border Protection on maritime portions of the southwest US border.

For more information about Alaskan maritime border security concerns, please seeUS Coast Guard reports another sighting of Russian naval vessels near Alaska .