JUNEAU, Alaska — The crew of Coast Guard Cutter Mellon
(WHEC-717) continues their North Pacific patrol in support of Operation North
Pacific Guard (NPG) 2019, protecting living marine resources, enforcing
international fisheries agreements and conducting global security missions, the
Coast Guard 17th District said in a statement.

Since June, Mellon’s crew has conducted 40 boardings and
issued 61 violations. A total of 25 were serious violations because of their
potential to severely impact fisheries and/or blatant disregard for
conservation and management measures. Their most frequent violations were
improper vessel marking (9), illegal shark finning (4) and improper use of or
intentional tampering with the vessel monitoring system (2).

“These fisheries patrols are vital to demonstrating the
U.S. commitment to our regional partnerships while strengthening regional
maritime governance and promoting sustainability of living marine resources,”
said Capt. Jonathan Musman, commanding officer of Mellon.

“I’m extremely proud of the work we’ve done this patrol,
and it’s a direct result of the hard work of this crew as well as the continued
support of our international partners. Together, we’ve put in a lot of hours
and a lot of work, and we’ve seen impressive results because of it.”

Mellon’s deployment is in support of U.S. goals for the
conservation and management of high seas fisheries resources to eliminate
illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing activity from the North
Pacific.

NPG 2019 showcases a multimission effort between the
Coast Guard, NOAA, Alaska Department of Fish and Game, five Pacific Rim
countries and three regional fisheries management organizations. Unlike
previous years’ operations, Mellon has conducted high-seas boardings and
inspections on the North Pacific Fisheries Commission fishing vessels, while
continuing to conduct Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission
boardings.

“We’ve seen a 344% increase in boardings and 867% increase
in violations compared to last year’s operation,” said Lt. Cdr. Kristen
Caldwell, living marine resource program manager for the Pacific Area. “This
increase highlights the significance of employing differing authorities, all
aimed at mitigation of IUU fishing, capitalizing on a highly capable resource
to maximize time on scene and the targeting of IUU vessels.”

NPG 2019 was designed to conduct law-enforcement
operations in support of RFMO in the North Pacific Ocean. Through the North
Pacific Coast Guard Forum and North Pacific Anadromous Fish Commission’s
enforcement coordination process, each partner nation contributes to this
at-sea enforcement effort by providing surface patrols and/or air surveillance.

This operation is in direct support of the National
Security Strategy as it aligns with the tenant of “achieving better outcomes in
multilateral forums” as well as by addressing the risks to sovereignty of
developing nations by China identified in the Indo-Pacific Region. The 2018
National Defense Strategy (NDS) also has identified China as a “strategic
competitor using predatory economics to intimidate its neighbors while
militarizing features in the South China Sea.” A goal of the NDS is to “support
U.S. interagency approaches and work by, with, and through our allies and
partners to secure U.S. interests and counteract this coercion.”

Due to the increasing threat, complexity and diversity of
tactics in IUU fishing, it is critical to ensure oversight and enforcement in
regions in which the United States has jurisdiction and authority to mitigate
the rapidly developing influence of specified fleets known to engage in IUU
fishing. Efforts to increase the ability of the United States to check the
threat of IUU fishing in the Pacific Ocean have been continuous, with the
recent success of the adoption of high-seas boarding inspections (HSBI) for the
Northern Pacific Fisheries Commission and continued efforts in the Western and
Central Pacific Fisheries Commission and North Pacific Anadromous Fish
Commission’s Convention Areas.

During NPG 2019, Mellon embarked two Canadian shipriders
from the Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans as well as two aircrews
from Coast Guard Air Station North Bend.

Mellon, a 378-foot high-endurance
cutter with a crew of 150, is homeported in Seattle and routinely deploys in
support of counter-drug and alien migrant interdiction, living marine resources
and search-and-rescue missions.

HONOLULU —
The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Midgett (WMSL-757) arrived Aug. 16 at its new
homeport in Honolulu, the Coast Guard Pacific Area said in a statement. 

The
Midgett is the eighth of the Coast Guard’s national security cutters and the
second to be homeported in Hawaii. Its sister ship, the Cutter Kimball (WMSL-756)
arrived on Dec. 22. Both cutters are scheduled to be commissioned Aug. 24 during
a ceremony presided over by Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Karl Schultz. 

“The
U.S. Coast Guard has an enduring role in the Indo-Pacific Region, going back
over 150 years, and our commitment today is as strong as ever,” Schultz said.
“The national security cutters are the flagships of the fleet, and the
homeporting of the Kimball and Midgett in Hawaii and their future deployments
throughout the Indo-Pacific demonstrate the U.S. Coast Guard’s dedication to
safeguarding the nation’s maritime safety, security and economic interests
throughout the region.”

Advanced
command-and-control capabilities and an unmatched combination of range, speed
and ability to operate in extreme weather enable national security cutters to
deploy globally to confront national security threats, to strengthen maritime
governance, to support economic prosperity and to promote individual
sovereignty.

Known as
the Legend class, national security cutters are capable of executing the most
challenging national security missions, including support to U.S. combatant
commanders. They are 418 feet in length, 54 feet in beam and 4,600 long tons in
displacement. They have a top speed of more than 28 knots, a range of 12,000
nautical miles, an endurance of up to 90 days and can hold a crew of up to 150.
These new cutters are replacing the high endurance Hamilton-class cutters (378
feet) that have been in service since the 1960s.

While
national security cutters possess advanced capabilities, more than 70% of the
Coast Guard’s offshore presence exists in the service’s aging fleet of medium-endurance
cutters. Many of these ships are more than 50 years old and are approaching the
end of their service life. Replacing the fleet with new offshore patrol cutters
is one of the Coast Guard’s top priorities.

Midgett is named to honor all members of the Midgett family who served in the Coast Guard and its predecessor services. At least 10 members of the family earned high honors for their heroic lifesaving efforts. Among them, the Coast Guard awarded various family members seven gold lifesaving medals — the service’s highest award for saving a life — and three silver lifesaving medals.

The Midgett’s transit to Hawaii was punctuated by two interdictions of suspected low-profile go-fast vessels in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, the first July 25 and a second July 31. The boardings resulted in a combined seizure of over 6,700 pounds of cocaine, estimated to be worth over $89 million.

HONOLULU —
The Coast Guard Cutter William Hart (WPC-1134) arrived in Honolulu Harbor on
Aug. 17, becoming the third 154-foot fast-response cutter homeported in Hawaii,
the Coast Guard 14th District said in a release.

The FRCs
are some of the newest Coast Guard vessels to come online, replacing the aging
patrol boat fleet currently in use. The FRCs represent the Coast Guard’s
commitment to modernizing service assets to address the increasingly complex
global maritime transportation system.

FRCs boast
advanced command, control, communications, computers, intelligence,
surveillance and reconnaissance systems designed to assist the cutter’s crew
with their primary mission to patrol coastal regions.

Recently,
the FRCs already stationed in Honolulu participated in longer over-the-horizon
voyages to the Republic of the Marshall Islands and Samoa, displaying the
potential of these cutters and their importance to the Coast Guard’s overall
Pacific strategy and regional partnerships.

William
Hart, the cutter’s namesake, was a Gold Lifesaving Medal recipient who rescued
a crew member of the tug Thomas Tracy. In 1927, Hart dove into the water in a
70-mph gale off Absecon, New Jersey, to save the mariner, who went overboard in
the storm.

Throughout
the 1930s, Hart served in the Army Corps of Engineers before returning to the
Coast Guard in 1939, advancing to chief petty officer and serving as a
boatswain’s mate. Once the United States entered World War II, Hart was
commissioned as a lieutenant junior grade and served in both the Atlantic and
Pacific theaters. He retired from the Coast Guard in 1950.

William Hart is the last of the three FRCs to be stationed in Hawaii. The crew transited the vessel from Key West, Florida, following delivery and preparation for sailing. Three more are scheduled to be homeported in Guam, increasing the Coast Guard 14th District’s total number of FRCs to six.

The Coast Guard is acquiring a total of 56 FRCs to replace the 110-foot Island-class patrol boats. Coast Guard Sector Honolulu, to whom the cutter crew will report, plans to commission the William Hart in a ceremony Sept. 26.

ALAMEDA,
Calif. — Crews aboard the precommissioned U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Midgett (WMSL-757)
interdicted a suspected low-profile go-fast vessel July 31 and seized more than
4,600 pounds of cocaine during a boarding in international waters of the eastern
Pacific Ocean, the Coast Guard Pacific Area said in a release.

This was
the second at-sea cocaine seizure made by Midgett’s crew within five days.

Midgett’s
crew seized more than 2,100 pounds of cocaine July 25 from a low-profile
go-fast boat, the cutter’s first cocaine seizure ever since departing the
Pascagoula, Mississippi, shipyard in June following acceptance by the Coast
Guard.

The July 25
and July 31 boardings resulted in a combined seizure of more than 6,700 pounds
of cocaine with an estimated street value of over $89 million.

Low-profile
go-fast vessels are built by cartels for smuggling large quantities of
contraband by riding low in the water to avoid detection. They are designed to
be quickly sunk by using their integrated scuttling valves, a dangerous
practice that jeopardizes the safety of smugglers and the Coast Guard boarding
teams.

Nearly 80%
of all known illegal narcotics coming into North America are smuggled by
international cartels through the eastern Pacific corridor, an area greater in
size than the continental United States. The profits from cocaine manufacture allow
drug cartels to diversify and fund other illicit trafficking activities such as
the smuggling of opioids, synthetics, methamphetamines, people and weapons.

One metric
ton of cocaine (2,204.6 pounds or 1,000,000 milligrams) is equal to 20 million
individual doses upon arrival in the United States. The Coast Guard removed more
than 2 million pounds (923 metric tons) of cocaine with an uncut wholesale
value of more than $27 billion over the last five years.

“The
national security cutter gets you further, faster and delivers more capability
once on scene than any other cutter in the history of our service,” said Capt.
Alan McCabe, Midgett’s commanding officer. “I am incredibly proud of the crew’s
efforts who made these two seizures possible, and we are eager to conduct
future operations throughout the Pacific.”

Midgett, the Coast Guard’s
eighth national security cutter, is sailing toward its future homeport in
Honolulu, where it will be commissioned Aug. 24 along with its sister ship, the
Coast Guard Cutter Kimball (WMSL-756), in a ceremony presided over by Coast
Guard Commandant Adm. Karl Schultz.

SAN PEDRO,
Calif. — The U.S. Coast Guard and partner agencies responded to a report of
multiple bales of narcotics in the water near Santa Catalina Island on Aug. 13,
the Coast Guard 11th District said in a release.

A
concerned citizen notified Coast Guard Sector Los Angeles-Long Beach
watchstanders, reporting multiple bales of what the caller believed to be
narcotics floating near Santa Catalina Island.

A Coast
Guard Station Los Angeles-Long Beach 45-foot response boat-medium crew and a Baywatch
Isthmus boat crew responded to investigate.

Coast
Guard and Baywatch crews recovered 43 bales from the water. The bales were
transferred to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, who confirmed the bales
consisted of marijuana weighing about 1,300 pounds with an estimated street value
of $1 million.

“We
appreciate the assistance provided by our partners and vigilant mariners in
keeping these drugs off of our streets,” said Lt. Andrew L. Fox, the Station
Los Angeles-Long Beach commanding officer. “We encourage anyone who sees
suspicious activity on the water, signs of distress, or hazards to navigation
to contact Coast Guard Sector Los Angeles Long Beach personnel on VHF channel
16 or at (310) 521-3801.”

The origin
of the bales is unknown. The case remains under investigation by agents of
Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Homeland Security Investigations and the
Coast Guard Investigative Service.

Response to the report was
coordinated through an interagency structure known as a regional coordinating mechanism
(ReCoM). Located in San Diego, Los Angeles and San Francisco, the ReCoM
partnerships include the Coast Guard, CBP’s Office of Air and Marine Operations
and Office of Field Operations, U.S. Border Patrol and ICE’s Homeland Security
Investigations, in cooperation with state and local law enforcement partners
operating along the California coast.

MIAMI —
The Coast Guard interdicted 146 Haitian migrants Aug. 11 about 69 miles north
of Isla De Tortue, Haiti, the Coast Guard 7th District said in a release.

The crew
of the Coast Guard Cutter William Trump (WPC-1111) interdicted a 40-foot
migrant sail freighter with 146 migrants aboard. The cutter crew safely
embarked 120 males, 22 females and four minors.

“These
illegal ventures attempting to immigrate to the United States in ill-equipped
and severely overloaded vessels are extremely dangerous, especially during the
hurricane season, when weather and sea conditions can rapidly change in minutes,
putting migrants in danger of being lost at sea,” said Capt. Jason Ryan, chief
of the enforcement branch of the Coast Guard 7th District.

“The Coast
Guard and our partner agencies coordinate efforts to interdict and stop these
unlawful migration attempts into the United States. Migrants caught attempting
to gain access into the U.S. through these dangerously illegal undertakings at sea
will be repatriated to their country in accordance with existing U.S.
immigration policy.”

The William Trump crew met the Coast Guard Cutter Resolute (WMEC-620) and safely transferred the migrants to the Resolute’s crew, who repatriated the migrants to their country of origin on Aug. 13.

A total of 3,414 Haitian migrants have tried to illegally enter the United States by sea in fiscal year 2019, compared to 2,727 in fiscal 2018. These numbers represent the total number of at-sea interdictions, landings and disruptions in the Florida Straits, the Caribbean and Atlantic Ocean.

CHARLESTON,
S.C. — The U.S. Coast Guard and partner agencies conducted a maritime law
enforcement operation Aug. 9 and Aug. 10 from Carteret County, North Carolina,
to Brevard County, Florida, that covered more than 500 miles of coastline, the
Coast Guard 7th District said in a release.

Coast Guard
crews conducted the operation in coordination with 104 partner agency units
from several federal, state and local agencies. The operation focused on the
education and enforcement of boating safety and maritime security throughout
the Southeast.

“We thank
each organization for the level of coordination and collaboration in planning
and executing this year’s iteration of Operation Shrimp and Grits,” said
Rear Adm. Eric Jones, commander of Coast Guard 7th District.

“The
operational contributions to our collective missions of maritime security and
marine safety, with special emphasis on enforcing compliance with passenger
charter, living marine resources and recreational boating safety laws, go a
long way toward achieving the objectives of each of our agencies. We trust the
collaborative nature of these types of interagency operations will also
contribute to our ability to respond holistically in times of crisis. Thank you
all and Semper Paratus.”

During the operation, 62 law enforcement/fire vessels, 18 auxiliary vessels, two fixed-wing law enforcement aircraft, two auxiliary fixed-wing aircraft, five helicopters, 4 Civil Support Teams, an aircraft-mounted Mobile Detection System and a Transportation Security Administration surface inspection team were used.

Over the two-day operation, 568 vessel boardings were conducted resulting in 48 U.S. Coast Guard violations, 22 Department of Natural Resources and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission violations, 35 local police department citations, and 12 vessel terminations.

Violations were issued for various reasons, to include: BUI [boating under the influence], possession of controlled substances, fisheries violations, illegal charter enforcement and recreational boating safety.

BOCA RATON,
Fla. — The Coast Guard interdicted six migrants Monday 7 miles east of Boca
Raton, the Coast Guard 7th District said in an Aug. 7 release.

The Coast
Guard Cutter Ibis (WPB-87338) crew arrived on scene and interdicted the six
male Cuban migrants. The crew safely embarked all six migrants aboard the
cutter. 

Coast Guard
Sector Miami watchstanders received a report from a good Samaritan of a suspicious
15-foot wooden vessel with six people aboard transiting near Boca Raton.

“People
attempting to illegally enter the United States put their lives and their loved
ones at risk.” said Petty Officer 1st Class Paula Verden, Coast Guard Sector
Miami command center. “These unseaworthy crafts do not have navigational or
safety equipment on board, exposing its occupants to a tragic scenario. The
Coast Guard continues to maintain a focused and coordinated efforts with
multiple agency assets to interdict any attempt to immigrate by sea to the
United States, Individuals interdicted at sea attempting to illegally immigrate
will be repatriated to their country in accordance with existing U.S.
immigration policy.”

The six adult
male migrants were transferred to Cuban authorities by Coast Guard Cutter
Robert Yered (WPC-1104) for repatriation purposes.

Once aboard a
Coast Guard cutter, all migrants receive food, water, shelter and basic medical
attention.

ALAMEDA,
Calif. — Crews aboard the pre-commissioned Coast Guard Cutter Midgett (WMSL
757) seized more than 2,100 pounds of cocaine worth approximately $64 million
from a low-profile go-fast vessel interdicted in international waters of the
Eastern Pacific Ocean, the Coast Guard Pacific Area said in an Aug. 7 release.

On July 25
a U.S. Navy MH-60R Seahawk aircrew embarked aboard the USS Michael Murphy (DDG
112) sighted a low-profile go-fast vessel. As the helicopter approached, a
hatch opened on the top of the vessel and three passengers were seen
jettisoning objects.

The
Michael Murphy remained with the suspected smuggling vessel until the Midgett
arrived on scene to conduct a law enforcement boarding. Midgett’s boarding team
seized approximately 2,100 pounds of cocaine from the interdiction and
apprehended three suspected smugglers.

“Even
though the cutter is still in a pre-commission status, this interdiction
showcases how ready our crew is and how capable the national security cutters
are,” said Capt. Alan McCabe, Midgett’s commanding officer. “It also
demonstrates the importance of our partnership with the U.S. Navy, whose
contributions are vital in stemming the flow of drugs into the United States.”

Nearly 80%
of all known illegal narcotics coming into North America are smuggled by
international cartels through the Eastern Pacific corridor.  As these cartels become more advanced in
their methods at sea, the Coast Guard is recapitalizing its fleet with modern
assets equipped to detect, interdict and disrupt the growing flow of illegal
drugs, weapons and people in the Eastern Pacific.

Midgett,
the Coast Guard’s eighth national security cutter, was accepted by the Coast Guard
in April. The cutter passed through the Panama Canal in July and is sailing to
Midgett’s future homeport in Honolulu, where it will be commissioned Aug. 24,
along with its sister-ship, the Coast Guard Cutter Kimball (WMSL 756).

While
national security cutters like the Midgett possess advanced operational
capabilities, more than 70% of the Coast Guard’s offshore presence is the
service’s aging fleet of medium-endurance cutters, many of which are over 50
years old and approaching the end of their service life.

Replacing
the fleet with new offshore patrol cutters is one of the Coast Guard’s top
priorities.

The
offshore patrol cutter will provide a critical capability bridge between
national security cutters like the Coast Guard Cutter Munro (WMSL 755), which
offloaded 39,000 pounds of cocaine last month, and fast-response cutters like
the Robert Ward, which recently seized more than 3,000 pounds of the cocaine in
the first cocaine seizure made by a fast-response cutter in the Eastern
Pacific.

LOCKPORT, La.
— Bollinger Shipyards has delivered the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter (USCGC) Angela
McShan, the 35th fast-response cutter (FRC) to the U.S. Coast Guard, the
company said in an Aug 2 release. The Coast Guard took delivery on Aug. 1 in
Key West, Florida.

“We are very
pleased to announce the latest FRC delivery, the USCGC Angela McShan,” said Ben
Bordelon, Bollinger president and CEO. “Previous cutters have been stationed
around the nation including Alaska and Hawaii. The Angela McShan, the third of
three fast-response cutters to be home-ported in Cape May, New Jersey, will
join the cutters Rollin Fitch and Lawrence Lawson. The vessel’s commissioning
is scheduled for October 2019 in Cape May.

“FRCs already
in commission have protected our country by seizing multiple tons of narcotics,
interdicted thousands of illegal aliens and saved hundreds of lives,” Bordelon
said. “The FRC program is a model program for government acquisition and has
surpassed all historical quality benchmarks for vessels of this type and
complexity. The results are the delivery of truly extraordinary Coast Guard
cutters that will serve our nation for decades to come. We are extremely proud
that the delivery of the FRC-35 marks the 175th patrol boat built by Bollinger
Shipyards. This includes the USCG Island class, USCG Marine Protector class,
USN Cyclone class and USCG Sentinel Class fast-response cutters.”

The 154-foot
Sentinel-class fast-response cutter has a flank speed of 28 knots; state-of-the-art
command, control, communications and computer technology; and a stern launch
system for the vessel’s 26-foot cutter boat. The FRC has been described as an
operational “game-changer” by senior Coast Guard officials. Recently, the Coast
Guard deployed the FRC 1124 Oliver Berry from Hawaii across the Pacific to the
Republic of the Marshall Islands. The 4,400 nautical mile trip marked the
furthest deployment of an FRC to date. This trip showcases the hugely expanded
operational reach and capability that the FRC provides.

Each FRC is named for an enlisted Coast Guard hero who distinguished him or herself in the line of duty. This vessel is named after Coast Guard hero Master Chief Petty Officer Angela McShan. MCPO McShan was a pioneer for women and African Americans. She was the first African American woman to be promoted to Master Chief Petty Officer. She served over two decades with great devotion and is remembered as an exemplary leader and professional. She inspired the many she trained, and has been described as a positive, kind and motivational person. MCPO McShan was a stellar performer, mentor teacher and inspirational leader. The Master Chief Angela M. McShan Inspirational Leadership Award was established in her memory.