The US Coast Guard announced the deployment of personnel and equipment to several maritime borders in the United States on Tuesday, a day after President Donald Trump fired the leader of the military branch.
In a statement, acting Coast Guard Commander Kevin Lunday told Coast Guardsmen would work to detect and deter illegal migration in support of Trump’s executive orders issued this week.
“The U.S. Coast Guard is the world’s premier maritime law enforcement agency, critical to protecting America’s maritime boundaries, territorial integrity and sovereignty,” Lunday said. “Pursuant to the President’s Executive Orders, I have directed my operational commanders to immediately increase their assets – cutters, aircraft, boats and deployable specialized forces – to increase the Coast Guard’s presence and focus….”
RETIRED COAST GUARD HELICOPTER COMMANDER DATA RISKS TO AIR CREW FIGHTING LA FIRE
The Coast Guard said it took immediate action in support of executive orders signed by President Donald Trump the day after he was sworn in. (US Coast Guard)
Key areas where authorities will focus their efforts including the waters Florida to prevent migrants from Haiti and Cuba from entering the U.S., and the maritime borders around Alaska, Hawaii, as well as the U.S. territories of Guam, Puerto Rico, American Somoa and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Lunday also wrote in the press release that the agency would focus on the “maritime border between Texas and Mexico in the Gulf of America.”
On Monday, Trump signed an executive order changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico. In the federal executive order: “Restoring Names That Honor American Greatness,” Section 4 calls the “area formerly known as the Gulf of Mexico… an integral asset to our once rapidly growing nation… and an indelible part of America’ – renamed the ‘Gulf of America’.
The referral appears to be the first time a federal agency has acknowledged the name change.
The Coast Guard said it would also target the Bahamas and South Florida, and between the US and Mexico in the Pacific Ocean.
In addition, the Coast Guard will support U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) authorities at the maritime portions of the southwestern U.S. border.
“Together, in coordination with our Department of Homeland Security and Department of Defense teammates, we will detect, deter and interdict illegal migration, drug trafficking and other terrorist or hostile activities before they reach our border,” a press release said.
A US Coast Guard ship sails off the coast of Key West, Florida. The Coast Guard said Tuesday it would deploy additional resources in certain areas to support President Trump’s executive orders combating illegal immigration. (iStock)
On Monday, Trump also issued a series of executive orders to crack down on illegal immigration.
Among the many charges was the firing of Admiral Linda Lee Fagan, 61, who was fired by acting Homeland Security Secretary Benjamine Huffman.
Admiral Linda Fagan, commander of the US Coast Guard, was fired by acting Secretary of Homeland Security Benjamine Huffman. (Getty Images)
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Huffman did not give a reason for the firing, but a senior DHS official told Fox News that Fagan was removed for failure to address threats to border security, inadequate leadership in recruitment and retention, mismanagement in key acquisitions such as icebreakers and helicopters, excessive focus on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives and an ‘erosion of trust’ over the mishandling and cover-up of Operation Fouled Anchor, the internal investigation of the coast guard to cases of sexual violence in the coast guard. Coast Guard Academy.
Charles Creitz of Fox News Digital contributed to this report.
