HEADQUARTERS

Dec. 14, 2023

Coast Guard rescues three mariners and dog off Kauai

HONOLULU — The Coast Guard rescued three mariners and a dog aboard a disabled vessel off Kauai, Wednesday.

Dec. 14, 2023

Coast Guard Cutter Diligence returns to Pensacola after interdicting $20.3 million in illicit drugs, six smugglers

PENSACOLA, Fla. — The crew of Coast Guard Cutter Diligence (WMEC 616) returned to homeport in Pensacola on Thursday after a 52-day counterdrug patrol in the Caribbean Sea. During the patrol, Diligence’s crew worked in support of Joint Interagency Task Force South (JIATF-South) within the Coast Guard Seventh District’s area of responsibility to interdict and deter the smuggling of illicit narcotics. Diligence’s crew disrupted approximately 700 kilograms of cocaine with an estimated street value of over $20.3 million dollars and apprehended six suspected smugglers.

Dec. 14, 2023

FEATURE RELEASE: Strong enough: Coast Guardsman frees 2 trapped in sinking tugboat

The sun wasn’t yet up on March 31 at 5:15 a.m., but Chad Rollins was. He had been awake since 4 a.m. lifting weights in the otherwise empty gym at Coast Guard Station Sabine, a spacious complex nestled on the swampy edge of Sabine Pass, Texas. After working and sleeping at the station for the past two days, Rollins was ready to head home and see his wife, Parker, and 6-year-old daughter, Ellie — but not before finishing his workout and meeting with the oncoming crew. After racking the weights, Rollins relocated to the cardio room on the station’s fourth floor, shaking out his tired arms as he climbed the staircase. He maxed out the elevation on the treadmill and began briskly marching uphill, nudging the speed to 3 mph. The voice of David Draiman, lead singer of heavy metal band Disturbed, thundered through his earbuds, driving him onward through fatigue. Fifteen minutes down, fifteen to go. The music was loud, but not loud enough to drown out the search and rescue alarm, which blared suddenly to life.

Dec. 14, 2023

Coast Guard establishes safety zone for collapsed bridge in Culebra, Puerto Rico

The Coast Guard Captain of the Port in Puerto Rico established a safety zone, Thursday, for a deteriorated collapsing bridge structure on Culebra Island, Puerto Rico. No vessel or person is allowed to enter the Safety Zone within the established waterway without obtaining permission from the Captain of the Port or a Designated Representative. “We are establishing a safety zone extending 50 yards along the waterway on either side of this collapsing bridge structure on Culebra to prevent having persons and vessels in the waterway near and under the bridge,” said Lt. Cmdr. Carlos Ortega, U.S. Coast Guard Sector San Juan waterways management division chief. “This safety zone is being established to protect life and property within the navigable waters in the vicinity of the bridge.”

Dec. 13, 2023

Coast Guard rescues 6 people from sunken vessel off Dominican Republic

MIAMI — A Coast Guard Operation Turks and Caicos MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew rescued six people, Wednesday, after their vessel sank about 30 miles north of Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic.

Dec. 13, 2023

U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Harriet Lane arrives at new home port in Pearl Harbor

HONOLULU – U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Harriet Lane (WMEC 903) and crew arrived at its new home port at Pearl Harbor, Wednesday, after transiting more than 8,000 miles over 35-days from Portsmouth, Virginia. The Harriet Lane is U.S. Coast Guard Pacific Area’s newest Indo-Pacific support cutter and spent more than 15 months in a Service Life Extension Program (SLEP) in Baltimore, Maryland, to prepare for the transition in missions and operations. Following reconstitution of the crew in July and returning to Portsmouth in August, the crew went through an extensive dockside period, ensuring the cutter was ready for the transit from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean.

Dec. 13, 2023

Photo Release: Coast Guard rescue swimmer receives Distinguished Flying Cross Award

    Editor's Note: Click on images to download high-resolution version.MCKINLEYVILLE, Calif. —

Dec. 13, 2023

Coast Guard Cutter Dauntless returns home to Florida after interdicting 19.4 million in illegal narcotics, 3 suspected drug smugglers

PENSACOLA, Fla. – The crew of the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Dauntless (WMEC 624) returned to their homeport in Pensacola Tuesday following a 25-day counterdrug deployment in the Caribbean Sea. While underway in the Coast Guard Seventh District’s area of operations and in support of Joint Interagency Task Force–South, Dauntless’s crew spent 25 days patrolling the Caribbean, where their primary mission was detecting and interdicting go-fast and other vessels suspected of smuggling illegal narcotics into the U.S.

Dec. 13, 2023

Coast Guard urges mariners to take safety precautions in advance of Dungeness Crab season

PORTLAND, Ore. – The Coast Guard urges mariners to take safety precautions in advance of Dungeness Crab season, which in the past is historically followed by a spike in search and rescue cases involving commercial fishing vessels.

Dec. 12, 2023

U.S. Coast Guard, Federated States of Micronesia strengthen Search and Rescue capabilities through joint training exercise

POHNPEI, Federated States of Micronesia — U.S. Coast Guard Forces Micronesia/Sector Guam personnel completed a pivotal Search and Rescue (SAR) Exercise with partners from the FSM Maritime Wing, Fire and Rescue services, and Pohnpei Department of Public Safety from Dec. 4 to 7, 2023, in Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia (FSM). This exercise marks a continuation of efforts to bolster SAR capabilities in the region, highlighting the enduring partnership between the U.S. Coast Guard and its Pacific Island partners under the Compact of Free Association (COFA).