From U.S. Coast Guard District 14 External Affairs, Feb. 23, 2025 

HONOLULU – The crew of the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Joseph Gerczak (WPC 1126) returned home to Honolulu Saturday following a 37-day territorial integrity patrol along the U.S. maritime border in American Samoa.  

The Joseph Gerczak crew departed Coast Guard Base Honolulu in January and traveled more than 7,300 nautical miles spanning from the Hawaiian Islands to American Samoa.  

The crew patrolled the U.S. territorial maritime border and safeguarded the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone surrounding American Samoa, which extends up to 200 miles offshore.   

During the patrol, the crew conducted boardings on two U.S.-flagged fishing vessels to ensure the territorial integrity of the U.S. maritime border and deter any threat of illicit trafficking. The crew also ensured the safety of the U.S. fishing fleet by reviewing the vessels’ documentation, examining the captains’ permits and inspecting the vessels’ required safety equipment, fishing gear and, when applicable, the on-board catch. The crew worked alongside a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Office of Law Enforcement Officer, who assisted the boarding team in identifying two living marine resource violations for which the vessel was cited.  

The cutter’s boarding teams observed 10 total violations, including a non-U.S. master who was neither a U.S. citizen nor U.S. national, expired documentation, an expired survival craft, expired hydrostatic releases for emergency position indicating radio beacons, expired flares, unsatisfactory condition of life jackets, and damaged turtle mitigation gear.   

Due to safety violations, the Joseph Gerczak crew terminated the voyage of one fishing vessel and escorted the vessel to port in Pago Pago, American Samoa.   

“Coast Guard law enforcement boardings and vessel safety inspections are vital to ensuring safety of those at sea and protecting our precious marine ecosystems,” said Lt. Caitlin Piker, commanding officer, Cutter Joseph Gerczak. “Our patrols also enhance maritime domain awareness and serve as a critical line of defense against illegal activities that threaten our nation’s security.”  

In accordance with the President’s Executive Orders and direction from Adm. Kevin Lunday, the acting commandant of the Coast Guard, the Coast Guard is increasing cutter patrols and operations in American Samoa. The Coast Guard is surging assets to increase presence in key areas to protect America’s maritime borders, territorial integrity, and sovereignty.  

The Joseph Gerczak is a 154-foot Sentinel-class fast response cutter homeported in Honolulu. The cutter’s primary missions are maritime law enforcement, search and rescue, and national defense.   

From U.S. Coast Guard 13th District, Feb. 14, 2025 

PORT ANGELES, Wash. – The crew of the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Active (WMEC 618) returned home to Port Angeles, Friday following a 65-day law enforcement patrol off the coast of Southern California.  

As America’s maritime law enforcement agency, the Coast Guard is increasing presence in key areas to protect U.S. maritime borders, territorial integrity, and sovereignty.    

The crew covered more than 5,500 miles patrolling off the coast of California in support of the Coast Guard District 11’s Southwest Maritime Border Security operations. The operations counter Transnational Criminal Organization activity in the Coastal California Region, and the United States Pacific Maritime Southern Border including alien interdiction operations.   

Active’s crew interdicted three vessels carrying 46 illegal aliens in total, while providing assistance and direction to aid in the apprehension of another 40 illegal aliens. The illegal aliens were all safely transferred to the custody of Customs and Border Protection agents in San Diego.  

To enhance the crew’s military readiness, they conducted numerous training exercises with regional Coast Guard crews including an Air Station San Francisco MH-65 helicopter aircrew, the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Terrell Horne (WPC-1131), a 154-foot fast response cutter homeported in San Pedro, Calif., and teams from the San Diego-based Coast Guard Maritime Security Response Team West.  

Additionally, while operating offshore northern California, the crew responded to four search and rescue cases.  

The Active is a 210-foot medium endurance cutter homeported in Port Angeles. Patrolling from the northern most part of the contiguous United States, and as far south as the equator, Active has conducted law enforcement, defense operations, and search and rescue missions for over 60 years.   

The cutter is a multi-mission platform that falls under the operational command of the Coast Guard Pacific Area Commander. Protecting the American homeland and its territories is the Coast Guard’s Pacific Area Commander’s top priority. In doing so, the U.S. Coast Guard protects and defends against threats to the safety, security, and prosperity of the American public.  

U.S. Coast Guard Pacific Southwest, Feb. 13, 2025 

SAN DIEGO — The crew of the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Waesche (WMSL 751) offloaded approximately 37,256 pounds of cocaine, with an estimated value of more than $275 million, on Thursday in San Diego.   

The offload is a result of 11 separate suspected drug smuggling vessel interdictions or events off the coasts of Mexico and Central and South America by the Coast Guard Cutter Waesche in December through February.   

“The Waesche crew faced numerous challenges during this patrol, overcoming the hardest adversities and still had 11 successful drug interdictions,” said Capt. Tyson Scofield, commanding officer of the Coast Guard Cutter Waesche. “Their dedication, strength of character, and resilience ensured the success of our mission, preventing over $275 million worth of illicit narcotics from reaching the United States and protecting our communities from the devastating effects of transnational crime.”  

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 Waesche is one of four legend-class national security cutters homeported in Alameda, California.  

The Coast Guard Cutter Waesche’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. 5th Fleet, Feb. 11, 2025 

MANAMA, Bahrain — A U.S. Coast Guard fast-response cutter, working in direct support of New Zealand-led Combined Task Force (CTF) 150 of Combined Maritime Forces, seized nearly 2,400 kilograms of illegal drugs from a vessel in the Arabian Sea, Feb. 7. 

The interdiction by the Sentinel-class fast-response cutter USCGC Emlen Tunnell (WPC-1145) represents CTF 150’s first drug seizure since New Zealand assumed command Jan. 15. 
 
The cutter’s boarding team discovered and seized 2,357kg of hashish from the vessel. After weighing and documenting the haul, the crew properly disposed of the narcotics. 
 
Commodore Rodger Ward, commander of CTF 150, said he’s proud of the team effort that went into making this interdiction a reality after only a few weeks in command. 
 
“Our command is a small cog in a system focused on interdicting illicit trafficking on the high seas,” Ward said. “This is a team effort and this bust would not have been possible without the support of the 46 nations who make up the Combined Maritime Forces.” 
 
Ward noted that every bust we make reduces the flow of finances to terrorist organizations. “This is why we’re here, to contribute to maritime security and protect the rules-based international order,” he said. 
 
Emlen Tunnell is forward deployed to Bahrain. The fast response cutter is part of a contingent of U.S. Coast Guard ships operating in the region under Patrol Forces Southwest Asia (PATFORSWA). PATFORSWA deploys Coast Guard personnel and ships alongside U.S. and regional naval forces throughout the Middle East. 
 
CTF 150 is one of five task forces under Combined Maritime Forces, the world’s largest international naval partnership. CTF 150’s mission is to deter and disrupt the ability of non-state actors to move weapons, drugs and other illicit substances in the Indian Ocean, the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman. 
 
Combined Maritime Forces is a 46-nation naval partnership upholding the international rules-based order by promoting security and stability across 3.2 million square miles of water encompassing some of the world’s most important shipping lanes. 

From U.S. Coast Guard Pacific Area, Feb. 7, 2025 

ALAMEDA, Calif. — The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Bertholf (WMSL 750) and crew returned to Alameda Friday, after completing a 130-day deployment patrolling the Bering Sea. 
 
The Bertolf’s crew showcased how the U.S. Coast Guard is a unique instrument of national power that bridges the divide between defense, diplomacy, and law enforcement and creates opportunities to further national objectives and priorities. 
 
During the patrol, Bertholf’s crew operated as far north as the Arctic Circle. They provided U.S. maritime presence in the region patrolling along the maritime boundary line between the United States and Russia and supported U.S. strategic interests in the North Pacific Ocean by promoting maritime governance, enforcing domestic fishery regulations, and strengthening U.S. presence along the maritime boundary line. 
 
Bertholf conducted joint operations in the region with the Coast Guard Cutter Healy (WAGB 20) and an Air Station Kodiak MH-60 helicopter aircrew, enhancing collaboration and improving capabilities across the national security cutter and polar icebreaker mission sets. 
 
While patrolling the region, Bertholf’s crew conducted 24 boardings of commercial fishing vessels, enforcing safety and living marine resource regulations. 
 
The crews worked closely with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration law enforcement officers and Alaskan Wildlife State Troopers, notably conducting two boardings of foreign flagged tramper vessels. The Coast Guard’s efforts in ensuring safe and sustainable fishing practices are essential to the long-term health of this vital renewable resource, and the security of the United States. 
 
Bertholf’s crew provided search and rescue (SAR) coverage of the Bering Sea showcasing the national security cutter and crew’s multi-mission agility. The crew responded to a disabled fishing vessel 80 nautical miles northeast of Dutch Harbor, Alaska. The fishing vessel Seabrooke had lost all electrical power, including navigation equipment and steering as a significant storm was approaching their position. Bertholf arrived on scene and placed the disabled vessel in tow using a bridle that Bertholf’s crew handcrafted. Bertholf was relieved of the tow by commercial salvage vessel Makushin Bay who towed the disabled vessel safely into port at Akutan, Alaska.  
 
“This crew excelled in one of the most challenging maritime environments through the holiday season, safeguarding U.S. fishermen, engaging with local communities, and delivering comprehensive search and rescue coverage across the Bering Sea,” said Capt. Billy Mees, Bertholf’s commanding officer. “I hold the entire crew, along with their families, in the highest regard for the sacrifices they make to serve our country.” 
 
To maintain and enhance SAR proficiency, Bertholf’s crew conducted 46 helicopter deck landings with a U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Port Angeles HH-65 helicopter aircrew while operating in the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Bertholf also conducted flight operations with Air Station Kodiak’s MH-60 helicopter aircrews operating near Cold Bay, Alaska. Coordination of flight operations provided critical training opportunities for both helicopter crews and Bertholf’s crew, supporting Bertholf’s ability to respond to emergencies.  
 
Bertholf crew members fostered relationships while in port Juneau and Adak, Alaska with community relations engagements. They met with city leadership and devoted several hours to cleaning out the local tsunami shelter and engaging with the local population, less than 30 of whom were currently on the island, aiding in the service’s understanding of the Aleutian community and how to optimize support for remote Alaskan communities. 
 
Bertholf began the patrol representing the Coast Guard by participating in San Francisco’s 2024 Fleet Week. The crew provided ship tours to over 2,500 visitors over a three-day period and sailed in formation during the parade of ships. The crew showcased their capabilities and commitment to the community through various public engagements including recruiting booths, Coast Guard Museum displays, and collaborations with other Coast Guard units across the Bay Area. 
 
“We were honored to be a part of San Francisco Fleet Week – the Coast Guard is the largest branch of service in the Bay Area, and we were thrilled to interact with the community in this time-honored event.” said Mees. 
 
Bertholf is named for Commodore Ellsworth Price Bertholf, the Coast Guard’s first commandant. Bertholf’s most notable service was his role in the famous Alaska Overland Expedition in 1897. When over 200 American whalers became trapped in ice at Point Barrow, Bertholf led the relief party traveling 1,600 miles via dogsled. Along with Lt. David Jarvis and Dr. Samuel Call, Bertholf herded almost 400 reindeer through a frozen Alaska winter to feed the starving whalers, an act that would later earn him the Congressional Gold Medal.  The ship’s motto is “Legends Begin Here.” 
 
Homeported in Alameda, Bertholf was commissioned on August 4, 2008, as the Coast Guard’s first Legend class national security cutter. National security cutters are 418-feet long, 54-feet wide, and have a 4,600 long-ton displacement. They have a top speed of 28 knots, a range of 12,000 nautical miles, and can hold a crew of up to 170. Bertholf routinely conducts operations throughout the Pacific, where the cutter’s combination of range, speed, and ability to operate in extreme-weather conditions provides the mission flexibility necessary to conduct vital strategic missions. 
 
The U.S. Coast Guard provides service to the American people. As part of the Department of Homeland Security team, Coast Guard men and women protect our nation and are at all times a military service–part of the joint force defending it. 

From U.S. Coast Guard Atlantic Area, Feb. 5, 2025 

NEWPORT, R.I.  — The crew of Coast Guard Cutter Campbell (WMEC 909) returned to their home port in Newport, Monday, following a 63-day multi-mission patrol to the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific Ocean.  

Campbell deployed in support of Joint Interagency Task Force – South (JIATF-S) to advance the primary mission of interdicting illegal narcotics in known drug trafficking zones. Campbell’s crew conducted maritime safety and security missions while working to detect, deter and intercept drug-smuggling vessels.   

While on patrol, Campbell interdicted a suspected drug-smuggling operation involving six panga boats engaged in illicit activity on the high seas. During the pursuit, Campbell’s crew seized approximately 8,061 pounds of cocaine worth an estimated street value of more than $91 million and detained two suspected drug traffickers.   

Throughout their deployment, Campbell’s crew embarked and provided care for two search and rescue survivors and maintained custody of a total of 49 suspected drug smugglers suspected of engaging in illicit trafficking activities at sea.   

The crew of Campbell offloaded the drugs at Port Everglades in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, January 27, and transferred 26 suspected drug smugglers to authorities, who will now face federal prosecution by the Department of Justice.   

Between January 2024 and February 2025, the crew of Campbell transferred a total of 87 suspected smugglers to federal law enforcement authorities, resulting from 24 interdictions by U. S. Coast Guard cutters in the Eastern Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea.  

During the patrol, Campbell’s crew partnered with numerous additional Coast Guard assets during the deployment by hosting a law enforcement detachment from the Opa Locka, Florida-based Coast Guard Tactical Law Enforcement Team – South, and conducted joint patrols and at-sea transfers with Coast Guard Cutter Waesche (WMSL 751), Coast Guard Cutter James (WMSL 754), and Coast Guard Cutter Stone (WMSL 758). These units also leveraged international and interagency partners to ensure that U.S. Coast Guard presence resulted in both the interdiction and deterrence of illicit trafficking in the Eastern Pacific.  
  
Prior to returning to Newport, Campbell crew members conducted three days of helicopter to deck landing qualifications at sea with multiple aircrews from the Coast Guard Helicopter Interdiction Tactical Squadron based out of Jacksonville, Florida. Campbell also embarked nearly sixty personnel from other Coast Guard cutter crews for hands-on shipboard-helicopter operations training that will improve mission readiness across the cutter fleet.  

“I am incredibly proud of Campbell’s crew,” said Cmdr. Jonathan Harris, commanding officer of Campbell. “We overcame many obstacles to stand vigilant watches away from our loved ones during the holiday season and worked tirelessly to prevent transnational criminal organizations from harming our communities by seizing tons of narcotics that will no longer cross our maritime borders. More importantly, we contributed to the cycle of justice by ensuring dozens of suspected drug traffickers will stand trial in the United States.”   

JIATF-S, in conjunction with partner nations, works to target, detect and monitor illicit drug trafficking within the joint operating area. The organization facilitates the interdiction and apprehension of illicit traffickers to dismantle transnational criminal organizations while reducing the flow of drugs to the public. Once interdiction becomes imminent, the law enforcement phase of the operation begins, and control of the operation shifts to the U.S. Coast Guard throughout the interdiction and apprehension. Interdictions in the Eastern Pacific Ocean are performed by members of the U.S. Coast Guard under the authority and control of the Coast Guard’s Eleventh District, headquartered in Alameda, California.    

Campbell is a 270-foot, Famous-class medium endurance cutter. The cutter’s primary missions are counter-drug and migrant interdiction operations, enforcement of federal fishery laws and search and rescue in support of U.S. Coast Guard operations throughout the Western Hemisphere. The cutter falls under the command of U.S. Coast Guard Atlantic Area, which is based in Portsmouth, Virginia.    

For more information on how to join the U.S. Coast Guard, visit GoCoastGuard.com to learn about active duty, 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, Jan. 28, 2025 

SAN DIEGO – Jan. 28, 2025, the Coast Guard conducted Alien Expulsion Flight Operations between California and Texas, in coordination with U.S. Customs and Border Protection.  

In accordance with the President’s Executive Orders, these flights continue the Coast Guard’s actions to enforce the immigration laws of our country. Through these ongoing operations, and in close cooperation with our Department of Homeland Security and Department of Defense teammates, the Coast Guard is detecting, deterring, and interdicting aliens, drug smugglers, and individuals intent on terrorism or other hostile activity before they reach our border.  

Led by the Eleventh Coast Guard District in California, the Coast Guard is coordinating the actions of multiple units in support of this operation. The Coast Guard is surging assets and personnel from around the nation – including Air Stations Elizabeth City, Kodiak, Sacramento, San Diego, and Hawaii – to support this Department of Homeland Security-led operation.  

The Coast Guard’s current role is to assist with the national transport of aliens to designated locations in Texas and California, where the Department of Defense will transport the aliens internationally. 

From Verizon, Jan. 29, 2025 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Coast Guard has awarded Verizon Business an 8-year Enterprise Infrastructure Solutions (EIS) task order worth up to $66 million over the life of the contract. Under this agreement, Verizon will provide Wi-Fi, phone, data, and other services to the U.S. Coast Guard’s C5I (Command, Control, Communication, Computer, Cyber, and Intelligence) office. 

Verizon will be partnering with the Coast Guard to phase out end-of-life TDM services, implementing solutions like a cellular-based POTS replacement for essential voice communications. This includes offering Contact Center as a Service (CCaaS), delivering secure IL-4 (Impact Level 4) software-based solutions for Coast Guard call centers. 

“The U.S. Coast Guard task order is yet another example of the strong relationship Verizon enjoys with a number of federal agencies, to include the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Department of Defense (DoD), the Department of Veterans Affairs and more” said Michael Adams, associate vice president for federal civilian services at Verizon. “The trust placed in Verizon by the federal government is indicative of the reliability and security of our enterprise solutions.” 

While the base task order spans 12 months, it may extend up to an eight-year period of performance. Verizon will deliver EIS services, including internet protocol service (IPS), broadband internet service (BIS), internet protocol voice service (IPVS), toll-free service, managed network services, managed security services, contact center services, and related equipment. 

Verizon has earned the trust of the U.S. Armed Forces through a number of contract wins, including a 10-year, $2.67 billion multiple award contract with the U.S. Navy, a $1 billion DoD engagement to overhaul the Pentagon’s network, and a $78 million digital modernization contract with Naval District Washington. 

From Airbus Helicopters 

GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas, 29 January 2025 – Airbus Helicopters has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the United States Coast Guard (USCG) to continue providing support for the service’s fleet of MH-65 Dolphin helicopters through 2037. The agreement reaffirms Airbus Helicopters’ commitment to ensuring the mission readiness of the USCG’s fleet as it performs critical search and rescue, law enforcement, and disaster response missions. 
 
Under the terms of the MOU, Airbus Helicopters will deliver enhanced maintenance, spare parts, and technical support to optimize the performance and availability of the MH-65 fleet. The agreement also includes provisions for fleet modernization and engineering services to extend the operational life of the aircraft. 
 
“The U.S. Coast Guard’s MH-65 helicopters are at the forefront of safeguarding our nation’s coastlines and saving lives,” said Bart Reijnen, President of Airbus Helicopters in the U.S. and Head of the North America region. “We are honored to continue working with the Coast Guard to ensure their fleet remains mission-ready for years to come. This agreement demonstrates our shared commitment to safety, reliability, and operational excellence.” 
 
The MH-65 Dolphin has been the backbone of the Coast Guard’s aviation fleet for more than four decades. With this new MOU, Airbus Helicopters and the USCG aim to maintain the fleet’s high level of operational capability, enabling continued support for critical missions across the country. 
 
Airbus Helicopters has a long-standing partnership with the USCG, providing tailored solutions to meet the service’s dynamic operational demands. The extended collaboration will build on this history, leveraging Airbus’ global support network and industry-leading expertise.

From U.S. Department of Defense Public Affairs, Jan. 25, 2025 

ARLINGTON, Va. — The following message to the U.S. armed forces was released by the new Defense Secretary, Pete Hegseth:   

“It is the privilege of a lifetime to lead the warriors of the Department of Defense, under the leadership of our Commander in Chief Donald J. Trump. We will put America First, and we will never back down. 
  
The President gave us a clear mission: achieve Peace through Strength. We will do this in three ways — by restoring the warrior ethos, rebuilding our military, and reestablishing deterrence.    
  
o    We will revive the warrior ethos and restore trust in our military.  We are American warriors. We will defend our country.  Our standards will be high, uncompromising, and clear. The strength of our military is our unity and our shared purpose.   
  
o    We will rebuild our military by matching threats to capabilities. This means reviving our defense industrial base, reforming our acquisition process, passing a financial audit, and rapidly fielding emerging technologies. We will remain the strongest and most lethal force in the world.  
  
o    We will reestablish deterrence by defending our homeland — on the ground and in the sky. We will work with allies and partners to deter aggression in the Indo-Pacific by Communist China, as well as supporting the President’s priority to end wars responsibly and reorient to key threats. We will stand by our allies — and our enemies are on notice. 
  
All of this will be done with a focus on lethality, meritocracy, accountability, standards, and readiness. 
  
I have committed my life to warfighters and their families.  Just as my fellow soldiers had my back on the battlefield, know that I will always have your back. We serve together at a dangerous time.  Our enemies will neither rest nor relent.  And neither will we.  We will stand shoulder to shoulder to meet the urgency of this moment.     
  
Like each of you, I love my country and swore an oath to defend the Constitution. We will do that each and every day, as one team.  Together we will accomplish the President’s mission to deter war, and if necessary, defeat and destroy our enemies. Godspeed!”