From the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, May 5, 2025 

NEW LONDON, Conn. — The U.S. Coast Guard Academy has launched a new academic major. Interdisciplinary Engineering (IDE) prepares future officers for careers across a wide spectrum of Coast Guard missions. IDE is open to cadets beginning with the Class of 2028. 

The new academic major advances an interdisciplinary approach to prepare cadets to serve in a wide variety of Coast Guard careers. Interdisciplinary Engineering students will be able to customize their plan of study to suit their interests and be well prepared to pursue a Professional Engineer license and graduate school in engineering or other disciplines. 

In addition to the core curriculum for all cadets, IDE students will complete required engineering, math, and science courses to meet accreditation criteria in ABET’s Engineering Accreditation Commission. The IDE curriculum also leaves room for a series of engineering and free electives, making it much more flexible compared with CGA’s other engineering programs.  This flexibility allows students to take courses in areas of interest related to Coast Guard missions and sub-disciplines.  Potential areas of focus include (but are not limited to): Aviation/Aerospace Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Marine Safety Engineering, Cybersecurity, Engineering Management, Industrial Engineering, Ocean Engineering, Power Systems & Control Engineering, and Systems Engineering. 

“The Interdisciplinary Engineering major equips cadets with the ability to tackle complex, real-world challenges that don’t fit neatly into a single discipline. By blending foundational engineering principles with systems thinking and innovation, our graduates will be uniquely prepared to support the Coast Guard’s evolving missions and lead in dynamic, mission-critical environments.” 

Housed in the School of Engineering and Cyber Systems, the IDE program will give cadets a hands-on educational experience. IDE students will have access to the Academy’s power lab, circulating water channel, wind tunnel, towing tank, 3-D printers, and other engineering lab facilities.  

The announcement of the new major comes after recent recognition from the Carnegie Foundation on the Academy’s second Carnegie Classification for continued leadership in providing high-impact, STEM-focused academic programs to prepare cadets for future service. 

From U.S. Coast Guard 7th District, May 2, 2025 

MIAMI – U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Venturous’ crew offloaded approximately 5,300 pounds of cocaine and marijuana worth an estimated $14.1 million, Friday, at Coast Guard Base Miami Beach.   

The seized contraband was the result of four interdictions in the Caribbean Sea by the crews of USCGC Diligence and HNLMS Groningen with an embarked Coast Guard law enforcement detachment.   

“Stopping harmful and illicit narcotics from reaching our shores and entering our communities is a team effort,” said Cmdr. Karen Kutkiewicz, Venturous’ commanding officer. “It takes the combined efforts of our joint force DoD, DHS, and international partners to combat transnational criminal organizations.”  

The following assets and crews were involved in the interdiction operations:   

• U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Diligence (WMEC 616)  

• Royal Netherlands Navy ship HNLMS Groningen (P-843)  

• U.S. Coast Guard Tactical Law Enforcement Team (TACLET) Pacific, LEDET 105  

• Joint Interagency Task Force-South (JIATF-S)  

• Seventh Coast Guard District command center watchstanders  

Detecting and interdicting illicit drug traffickers on the high seas involves significant interagency and international coordination. Joint Interagency Task Force-South, in Key West, conducts the detection and monitoring of aerial and maritime transit of illegal drugs. Once an interdiction becomes imminent, the law enforcement phase of the operation begins, and control of the operation shifts to the U.S. Coast Guard for the interdiction and apprehension phases. Interdictions in the Caribbean Sea are performed by members of the U.S. Coast Guard under the authority and control of the Seventh Coast Guard District, headquartered in Miami.  

Read more about the Groningen crew’s interdictions: Royal Netherlands Navy intercepts 3 drug shipments in one week.  

USCGC Venturous is a 210-foot Reliance-class medium endurance cutter homeported in St. Petersburg under U.S. Coast Guard Atlantic Area Command.   

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Make a difference on land, at sea or in the air with the Coast Guard. Visit GoCoastGuard.com to learn more about active duty and reserve, officer and enlisted opportunities. Information on how to apply to the U.S. Coast Guard Academy can be found here.  

From the U.S. Coast Guard Atlantic Area, May 2, 2025 

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — The crew of Coast Guard Cutter Alert (WMEC 630) returned to their home port in Cape Canaveral, Friday, following a 55-day deployment in the Gulf of America.  

Alert’s crew deployed under tactical command of the Eighth Coast Guard District to counter illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing in the region. During patrol, the crew enforced federal law at sea and defended the United States’ Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) by interdicting illegal fishing in U.S. territorial waters.   

While underway, crew members conducted law enforcement boardings, which ranged from routine safety inspections to federal fisheries enforcement in order to deter illicit activity such as illegal maritime migration, fishing and smuggling.  

On April 20, Alert’s crew coordinated with the Coast Guard Cutter Jacob Poroo (WPC 1125) and Coast Guard Station South Padre Island to interdict a lancha with three Mexican fishermen aboard. The fishermen were engaged in illegal fishing north of the U.S. maritime boundary line in the Gulf of America.   
  
Alert’s crew also detained four additional Mexican fishermen suspected of illegal fishing after they were transferred aboard the cutter from Jacob Poroo. All seven apprehended Mexican fisherman were later transferred to U.S. Customs and Border Protection for processing.   

“I am proud of our crew guarding America’s southeastern maritime border, a mission set maintained by the Coast Guard for over 200 years,” said Cmdr. Lee Crusius, commanding officer of Alert. “The protection of U.S. sovereign interests throughout the maritime domain has been the staple of our service and this patrol was no exception.”  
  
A lancha is a fishing boat used by Mexican fishermen that is approximately 20-30 feet long, with a slender profile, one outboard motor, and capable of traveling at speeds exceeding 30 mph. Lanchas are frequently used to illegally fish in the EEZ near the U.S. – Mexico border in the Gulf of America. The illegal harvest and trade of red snapper and other fish species is often a revenue stream for criminal organizations. Apart from their use for illegal seafood harvesting in U.S. waters, lanchas may also be used to move illicit drugs and aliens into the United States.  
  
Headquartered in New Orleans, the Eighth Coast Guard District is responsible for U.S. Coast Guard operations spanning 26 states, including the Gulf of America coastline from Florida to Mexico, the adjacent offshore waters and outer continental shelf, as well as the inland waterways of the Mississippi, Ohio, Missouri, Illinois and Tennessee River systems.  

 
Alert is a 210-foot, Reliance-class medium endurance cutter. The cutter’s primary missions are counter-drug operations, alien interdiction, enforcement of federal fishery laws, and search and rescue in support of U.S. Coast Guard operations throughout the Western Hemisphere.  

Alert falls under the command of U.S. Coast Guard Atlantic Area, which is based in Portsmouth, Virginia. U.S. Coast Guard Atlantic Area oversees all Coast Guard operations east of the Rocky Mountains to the Arabian Gulf. In addition to surge operations, they also allocate ships to deploy to the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific to combat transnational organized crime and illicit maritime activity.   

For information on how to join the U.S. Coast Guard, visit Go Coast Guard.com to learn about active duty and reserve, officer and enlisted opportunities. Information on how to apply to the U.S. Coast Guard Academy can be found here.  

From U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters, May 1, 2025 

WASHINGTON — The Department of Homeland Security approved full production of the first U.S. Coast Guard Polar Security Cutter (PSC), April 30, 2025. The Service also received approval for low-rate initial production of the the Waterways Commerce Cutter (WCC). This is a significant milestone for the Nation, as it brings the Coast Guard closer to renewing and enhancing operational capabilities in both the American heartland and the polar regions. 

Approval for full production enables the Coast Guard and U.S. Navy integrated program office to maintain production momentum, and for the shipbuilder to accelerate hiring to deliver this critical asset as quickly as possible to support national security initiatives. The PSC is the first heavy polar icebreaker to be built in the U.S. in nearly five decades. The Coast Guard is the sole federal agency responsible for icebreaking. Accordingly, the Service must replace, modernize, and grow its fleet of icebreakers to assure U.S. access and sovereignty in the polar regions. The U.S. Coast Guard is committed to working with the Administration and Congress to fulfill the President’s direction on icebreaker acquisition. 

The production decision for the WCC program entails the first eight hulls of the River Buoy Tender (WLR) and Inland Construction Tender (WLIC) – WCC variants that are being acquired under a single contract, due to significant design and systems commonality. The Coast Guard plans to acquire 16 WLRs and 11 WLICs to recapitalize the Service’s aging and increasingly obsolescent inland tender fleet, which supports the Nation’s Marine Transportation System, facilitating the safe movement of over $5.4 trillion in annual commerce and 30 million jobs. Deliveries of both the lead WLR and WLIC are planned to occur in fiscal year 2027. A third WCC variant, the inland buoy tender, will be acquired under a separate contract. 

For over 234 years, the American people have relied on the special authorities and unique capabilities of the Coast Guard to assure the safety, security and stability of America’s maritime zones and borders and to foster responsible maritime governance around the world. The PSC and WCC programs demonstrate the breadth of these commitments, and the enduring need for the Coast Guard to deliver vital services the Nation. 

From U.S. Coast Guard 17th District, April 30, 2025 

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — The Coast Guard decommissioned Coast Guard Cutter Liberty (WPB 1334) during a ceremony in Valdez, Tuesday.  

“This decommissioning marks the end of an era for the Coast Guard,” said Cmdr. Jordan Bogosian, a former Commanding Officer of Liberty and the ceremony’s presiding official. “I am proud of Coast Guard Cutter Liberty and her faithful service to our nation for more than three decades.”  

Commissioned on December 19, 1989, Liberty was the 34th Island-Class cutter to join the fleet and the final Island-Class cutter to be decommissioned from Coast Guard service.  

Liberty is a 110-foot, Island-Class patrol boat, a multi-mission platform that conducted operations to support search and rescue response, marine environmental protection, and national defense.  

The Coast Guard is replacing the aging Island-Class patrol boats with Sentinel-Class Fast Response Cutters (FRCs) which feature enhanced capability to meet service needs. There are currently four FRC’s homeported in Alaska, with two more scheduled for delivery in the near future.  

“It has been a profound honor to serve as the final commanding officer of USCGC Liberty,” said Lt. D. Toler Alexander, Commanding Officer of Liberty. “I am incredibly proud of this crew and all they have accomplished. LIBERTY leaves behind a legacy of over 35 years of exceptional service to the people of the United States and the great state of Alaska. I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to the communities of Valdez – and Auke Bay before it – for their unwavering support and for being such welcoming homeports to the cutter and her crew.” 

From U.S. Coast Guard Atlantic Area, April 28, 2025 

ATLANTIC OCEAN — The crew of U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Calhoun (WMSL 759) seized approximately 10,000 pounds of cocaine, worth an estimated $74 million in the Atlantic Ocean, April 12-13, 2025. 

The seized contraband was the result of an interdiction in international waters in the Atlantic Ocean, and five suspected smugglers remain in U.S. custody pending prosecutorial disposition.  

On April 12, the Calhoun, under tactical control of Coast Guard Atlantic Area, detected a suspicious fishing vessel in international waters exhibiting behavior consistent with narcotic trafficking approximately 1,265 miles west of Las Palmas, Canary Islands. Calhoun’s crew launched a cutter small boat and interdicted the suspicious vessel, apprehending five suspected smugglers and seizing approximately 10,000 pounds of cocaine.  

“This interdiction demonstrates the Coast Guard’s unwavering commitment to combating transnational criminal organizations (TCOs),” said Vice Adm. Nathan Moore, commander, Coast Guard Atlantic Area. “Our dedicated crews, in close coordination with interagency and international partners, continue to disrupt the flow of illicit narcotics, which serves as a critical strategic action that disrupts the financial networks of TCOs, undermining their ability to fund further illicit activities that threaten our communities.”  

The Coast Guard is the United States’ lead federal maritime law enforcement agency with authority to enforce national and international laws on the high seas and waters within U.S. jurisdiction. The Coast Guard continues increased operations to interdict, seize and disrupt transshipments of cocaine and other bulk illicit drugs by sea. These drugs fuel and enable cartels and TCOs to produce and traffic illegal fentanyl, threatening the United States.  

Calhoun, which commissioned in 2024, is the newest of four, 418-foot, Legend-class national security cutters homeported in North Charleston, South Carolina. The cutter’s primary missions are counter-drug operations and defense readiness.   

Calhoun falls under the command of U.S. Coast Guard Atlantic Area, which is based in Portsmouth, Virginia. U.S. Coast Guard Atlantic Area oversees all Coast Guard operations east of the Rocky Mountains to the Arabian Gulf. In addition to surge operations, they also allocate ships to deploy to the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific to combat transnational organized crime and illicit maritime activity.   

From U.S. Coast Guard Pacific Area, April 24, 2025 

SAN DIEGO — The crew of the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Kimball (WMSL 756) offloaded approximately 18,898 pounds of cocaine, with an estimated value of more than $214.3 million, on Thursday in San Diego.    

The offload is a result of six separate suspected drug smuggling vessel interdictions or events off the coasts of Mexico and Central and South America by the Coast Guard Cutter Kimball and Coast Guard Cutter Forward during the months of February through April.  

Multiple U.S. agencies, including the Departments of Defense, Justice, and Homeland Security, collaborate in the effort to combat transnational organized crime. The Coast Guard, Navy, Customs and Border Protection, FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, along with allied and international partner agencies, all play a role in counter-narcotic operations.    

The fight against drug cartels in the Eastern Pacific Ocean requires unity of effort in all phases, from detection, monitoring and interdictions to criminal prosecutions by international partners and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in districts across the nation. The law enforcement phase of counter-smuggling operations in the Eastern Pacific Ocean is conducted under the authority of the Eleventh Coast Guard District, headquartered in Alameda, California. The interdictions, including the actual boardings, are led and conducted by members of the U.S. Coast Guard. The Coast Guard continues to increase operations to interdict, seize, and disrupt transshipment of cocaine and other bulk illicit drugs by sea. These drugs fuel and enable cartels and Transnational Criminal Organizations to produce and traffic illegal fentanyl threatening the U.S.     

The Coast Guard Cutter Kimball is one of two legend-class national security cutters homeported in Honolulu, Hawaii.  

The Coast Guard Cutter Kimball’s crew can operate in the most demanding open ocean environments, and the vast approaches of the Southern Pacific, where significant narcotics trafficking occurs.

From U.S. Coast Guard Atlantic Area, April 22, 2025 

PORTSMOUTH, VA — The crew of Coast Guard Cutter Seneca (WMEC 906) returned to their home port in Portsmouth, April 11, following a 54-day maritime border security patrol in the Windward Passage. 
 
Seneca deployed in support of Homeland Security Task Force – Southeast (HSTF-SE) and Operation Vigilant Sentry (OVS) while underway in the Seventh Coast Guard District’s area of responsibility. Crew members directly contributed to safeguarding America by patrolling U.S. maritime borders and conducting alien interdiction operations. 

While underway in the Windward Passage, Seneca’s crew interdicted an unsafe and illegal voyage with 99 aliens on board. A U.S. Customs and Border Protection – Air and Marine Operations aircrew initially detected the  vessel. Seneca crew members launched a small boat, interdicting the voyage and transferring the aliens aboard Seneca before their repatriation to Haiti. 

During the deployment, Seneca’s crew worked with many partners to include Coast Guard Cutters James (WMSL 754), Vigilant (WMEC 617), Valiant (WMEC 621), Tampa (WMEC 902), the Coast Guard Helicopter Interdiction Tactical Squadron and the Royal Netherlands Navy. Their joint efforts included counter-drug operations and advanced shipborne helicopter training, increasing joint interoperability between interagency and international partners. 

“The integrity of our maritime borders is vital to national security, and I am proud of our crew’s hard work and determination throughout this deployment. Their dedicated commitment to deterrence of alien maritime migration saved lives from dangerous ventures at sea while safeguarding our borders,” said Cmdr. Lee Jones, commanding officer of Seneca. “Together with our partner agencies, we were able to effectively enforce United States customs and immigration laws against illegal entry.”  

The Coast Guard, along with its HSTF-SE partners, maintains a continual presence with air, land, and sea assets in the Florida Straits, the Windward Passage, the Mona Passage, and the Caribbean Sea in support of OVS. The HSTF-SE combined, multi-layered approach is designed to protect the safety of life at sea while preventing unlawful maritime entry to the United States and its territories.  

Seneca is a 270-foot, Famous-class medium-endurance cutter. The cutter’s primary missions are alien interdiction, counter-drug operations, enforcement of federal fishery laws, and search and rescue in support of U.S. Coast Guard operations throughout the Western Hemisphere. 

From U.S. Coast Guard 17th District, April 16, 2025 

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — The Coast Guard decommissioned Coast Guard Cutter Mustang (WPB 1310) during a ceremony in Seward, Tuesday. 

Capt. Christopher Culpepper, the commander of Coast Guard Sector Western Alaska & U.S. Arctic, presided over the ceremony honoring the nearly 40 years of service Mustang and its crews provided to the nation. 

Commissioned on August 29, 1986, Mustang was the 10th Island-Class cutter to join the fleet. 

Mustang has been stationed in Seward since it was commissioned, and its crews have since responded to over 200 search-and-rescue cases and completed over 2000 law enforcement sorties. 

Mustang is a 110-foot, Island-Class patrol boat, a multi-mission platform that conducted operations to support search and rescue response, marine environmental protection, and national defense. 

The Coast Guard is replacing the aging Island-Class patrol boats with Sentinel-Class Fast Response Cutters (FRCs) which feature enhanced capability to meet service needs. There are currently four FRC’s homeported in Alaska, with two more scheduled for delivery in the near future. 

“The decommissioning of Mustang is a bittersweet moment,” said Lt. Gabrielle Troise, Commanding Officer of Mustang. “It’s been my honor to be a member of the final crew, and I’m incredibly proud of the legacy we will leave behind within the community of Seward where Mustang has faithfully served since her commissioning.” 

From U.S. Coast Guard Atlantic Area, April 14, 2025 

PORTSMOUTH, Va. — The crew of Coast Guard Cutter Spencer (WMEC 905) returned to their home port in Portsmouth, Friday, following a 92-day deployment in support of alien interdiction operations in the Florida Straits.   

Deployed in support of Homeland Security Task Force – Southeast (HSTF-SE) and Operation Vigilant Sentry (OVS) in the Seventh Coast Guard District’s area of responsibility, Spencer’s crew conducted search and rescue, and maritime border security operations to support the ongoing U.S. mission to protect the maritime borders of America.  
  
On April 6, Spencer’s crew rescued a mariner from a capsized vessel approximately 35 miles northeast of Boynton Beach, Florida. Coast Guard Cutter Margaret Norvell’s crew embarked the survivor who was transferred to the Royal Bahamas Defense Force in good condition.  

Prior to the patrol, Spencer was part of the service life extension program (SLEP) for two years getting upgrades at the Coast Guard Yard in Baltimore.                                                             

“Although our time in Baltimore was challenging, the officers and crew of Spencer were motivated to get the ship ready for operations and embark on our inaugural post-SLEP patrol,” said Cmdr. Justin Strock, commanding officer of Spencer. “In support Homeland Security Task Force – Southeast, we provided a clear visible deterrent to anyone considering illegal entry into the country.”   

Established in 2003, HSTF-SE is the DHS-led interagency task force charged with directing operational and tactical planning, command and control, and functions as a standing organization to deter, mitigate and respond to maritime mass migration in the Caribbean Sea and Florida Straits.    

OVS is the 2004 DHS plan that provides the structure for deploying joint air and surface assets and personnel to respond to irregular maritime migration in the Caribbean corridor of the United States. Its primary objectives are to prevent the unnecessary loss of life at sea while deterring and dissuading maritime mass migration alongside our federal, state and local partners.     

Spencer is a 270-foot, Famous-class medium endurance cutter. The cutter’s primary missions are alien interdiction, counter-drug operations, enforcement of federal fishery laws, and search and rescue in support of U.S. Coast Guard operations throughout the Western Hemisphere.   

For information on how to join the U.S. Coast Guard, visit Go Coast Guard.com to learn about active duty and reserve, officer and enlisted opportunities. Information on how to apply to the U.S. Coast Guard Academy can be found here.