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Law Enforcement Personnel News

13 Oct 2022

US and Micronesia Expand Shiprider Agreement

USCG Forces Micronesia Sector Guam Commander Capt. Nicholas R. Simmons and Joses R. Gallen, Secretary of Justice, Federated States of Micronesia, signed an expanded shiprider agreement aboard the USCGC Myrtle Hazard (WPC 1139) in Guam, on Oct. 13, 2022. (Photo: Sara Muir / U.S. Coast Guard)

The United States and the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) on Thursday signed a remote shiprider agreement enabling the U.S. to act on behalf of the country to combat illicit maritime activity when an FSM law enforcement officer is not present.FSM is a nation with over six hundred islands in the Pacific, and the agreement provides a coordinating mechanism and process for U.S. law enforcement personnel to work with the FSM National Police through command centers to receive approval from the FSM to act.

07 Apr 2021

Piracy and Ship Attacks in the Gulf of Guinea

© remipiotrowski/AdobeStock

Incidents of piracy and attacks on merchant vessels in waters of the Gulf of Guinea are endemic. There are multiple factors at play, including but not limited to: poverty, limited government presence in coastal communities, minimal maritime law enforcement capability among coastal states, and corruption. Some foreign nations, primarily European, conduct patrols outside the 12 nautical mile territorial seas, but far too few to make a significant dent in the problem, and with no authority to operate closer to shore…

10 Feb 2021

Bomb Threat Aboard Ferry in Juneau, Alaska

A suspect has been taken into custody following a bomb scare aboard a passenger car ferry in Juneau, Alaska, Wednesday morning.At 6:49 a.m., U.S. Coast Guard watchstanders received a call from the captain of the LeConte, reporting a bomb threat aboard the ferry scheduled to depart Juneau. Coast Guard law enforcement personnel conducted a security sweep of the vessel and found no credible threats.The suspect, who reportedly drove a vehicle onto the ferry and made the threats, has been apprehended by Juneau Police Department (JPD) and the vehicle was impounded without incident.The Coast Guard, which worked alongside Alaska Marine Highway System (AMHS) and JPD to ensure passenger safety and restore service…

25 Mar 2019

USCG Cutter Interdicts $240 mln in Drugs

Courtesy Photo
U.S. Coast Guard District 7

The crew of Coast Guard Cutter Tampa returned to Portsmouth Monday following a successful 85-day counter-narcotics patrol in the Eastern Pacific Ocean.During their patrol off the coasts of Central and South America, Tampa’s crew successfully interdicted approximately 18,000 pounds of cocaine worth an estimated wholesale value of $240 million.The Coast Guard increased U.S. and allied presence in the Eastern Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Basin, which are known drug transit zones off Central and South America, as part of its Western Hemisphere Strategy.

05 Feb 2019

USCG Offloads 34,780 Pounds of Cocaine

Photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Brandon Murray 
U.S. Coast Guard District 7

The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Forward (WMEC-911) offloaded approximately 34,780 pounds of cocaine Tuesday in Port Everglades worth an estimated $466 million wholesale seized in international waters in the Eastern Pacific Ocean.The drugs were interdicted off the coasts of Mexico, Central and South America and represent 21 separate, suspected drug smuggling vessel interdictions by the U.S. Coast Guard:The cutter Forward was responsible for eight cases seizing an estimated 14…

08 May 2018

Memphis Orders Fire Rescue Patrol Boat

San Francisco Bay Area boat designer and builder Moose Boats said it has been awarded a contract from The City of Memphis Fire and Police Departments for the construction of a M2-38 Fire Rescue and Patrol Catamaran.Twin Cummins engines at 425hp each with Hamilton water jets will power the boat, which is being built to respond to incidents on the Mississippi River and in The Port of Memphis, Tenn. Memphis Fire and Police’s new boat will be equipped with a single Hale fire pump flowing close to 2,000 gallons per minute of water through Task Force Tips fire monitors and valves.The M2 will be equipped with a host of Simrad electronics including multifunction navigation screen…

21 Mar 2018

USCG offloads 36,000 lbs cocaine in San Diego

The Coast Guard offloaded approximately 36,000 pounds of cocaine Tuesday, which was seized during a counter-drug patrol in international waters of the Eastern Pacific Ocean. The contraband offloaded by the Coast Guard Cutter Bertholf's (WMSL-750) crew represents 17 interdictions of suspected smuggling vessels off the coasts of Central and South America by five Coast Guard cutters between early February and early March. “This offload by the Bertholf represents the great work being conducted in the Eastern Pacific combating the transnational organized crime groups, behind the drug trade which spread instability, fear and harm to people, communities and entire nations,” said Rear Adm.

15 Feb 2018

Coast Guard Offloads 14,000 Pounds of Cocaine in Port Everglades

Photo courtesy of USCG

The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Hamilton is scheduled to offload approximately 7 tons of cocaine Tuesday in Port Everglades worth an estimated $190 million wholesale seized in international waters in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. The drugs were interdicted off the coasts of Mexico, Central and South America by multiple U.S. Coast Guard cutters. The cutter Hamilton was responsible for two cases, seizing an estimated 1,931 kilograms of cocaine. The Coast Guard Cutter Northland was responsible for two cases, seizing an estimated 2,871 kilograms of cocaine.

12 Oct 2016

China Rebuffs S.Korea over Sinking of Coast Guard Vessel

China said on Wednesday South Korea's coast guard should not have been operating in part of the sea where one of Seoul's patrol boats sank last week during an operation to crack down on a group of Chinese fishing boats. South Korean coast guard vessels regularly chase Chinese boats for fishing illegally off its coast, at times resulting in violent confrontations. The disputes are an irritant in relations between China and U.S. ally South Korea, even as their economic relations grow close and they share concerns about North Korea's nuclear weapons and missile programmes. South Korea's Ministry of Public Safety and Security, which oversees the coast guard, said one of its patrol boats sank last week during an anti-illegal fishing operation off the Korean peninsula's west coast.

10 Oct 2015

Cutter Diligence to Return

The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Diligence is scheduled to return to their homeport in Wilmington Saturday following a 45-day patrol in the Caribbean Sea. During their patrol, the Diligence crew conducted search and rescue operations off the west coast of Cuba and conducted drug interdiction operations in the vicinity of Columbia and Panama. In anticipation of Aviation Standardization, a three-day assessment of the Diligence crew's flight operations capabilities scheduled for early October, the crew practiced flight operations their first evening underway. An MH-65C Dolphin helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station Savannah in Savannah, Georgia, met the cutter crew to conduct deck landings, helicopter in flight refueling (HIFR) and vertical replenishment (VERTREP) exercises.

02 Aug 2015

Missing Person Rescued Near Brackettville

On July 31, Border Patrol Search Trauma and Rescue (BORSTAR) agents and CBP Office of Air and Marine rescued a man who was reported missing the previous morning. “Beyond our daily enforcement duties, we also have a responsibility to assist those in distress and our local communities,” said Chief Rodolfo Karisch. On July 30 at approximately 6 p.m., U.S. Border Patrol agents, assigned to the Brackettville Station, received a call from the Kinney County Sheriff's Office requesting assistance in the search for a missing person who suffers from dementia. The subject, who lives on a local ranch, had not been seen since going for a walk around 10 a.m. Brackettville agents and local law enforcement personnel searched throughout the night. At approximately 7:45 a.m.

16 Jun 2015

Shell Arctic Rig Protesters Detained and Released

USCG photo by Katelyn Shearer

U.S. The 24 people who violated the 500-yard safety zone established around the Shell Arctic drilling rig Polar Pioneer were detained by USCG and partner agency law enforcement personnel Monday morning. The individuals were transported to Coast Guard Base Seattle at Pier 36, issued notices of violation that include a $500 fine and released with their equipment. "The Coast Guard and our agency partners are committed to maintaining the integrity of navigable waterways and protecting the safety of the maritime public," said Capt.

05 Jun 2015

Shell Protesters Cited for Entering Safety Zone

U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Sector Puget Sound investigating officers initiated civil penalties, Friday, against four individuals who entered an established safety-zone around a Shell-contracted vessel in Bellingham during Memorial Day weekend. Cody Erdman, Chiara D’Angelo, Paul Adler and Matthew Fuller were cited in accordance with Code of Federal Regulations for entry into or staying in a federally-regulated safety zone between May 22 and 24. USCG officials can seek a maximum civil penalty of $40,000 for each entry into the zone or day the individuals violated the zone. The final penalty will be determined by the Coast Guard Hearing Office in Arlington, Va. Hearing officers will be assigned and provide the individuals an opportunity to refute the charges or provide evidence on their behalf.

09 Feb 2015

USCG Rescues 4 Mexican Poachers

Coast Guard crews rescued four Mexican nationals from their sinking boat Saturday, after they were spotted illegally fishing north of the U.S./Mexico maritime border. At approximately 8 p.m. Saturday, a crewmember aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Brant, an 87-foot coastal patrol boat, spotted a Mexican boatcrew poaching fish in the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone, 30 miles off South Padre Island. Sector Corpus Christi Command Center watchstanders diverted a crew aboard a Station South Padre Island 33-foot law enforcement boat and diverted an Air Station Corpus Christi HC-144 Ocean Sentry airplane crew to intercept. The aircrew vectored in the law enforcement boat and cutter. The Brant's crew intercepted and stopped the lancha, but the lancha began to take on water.

14 Jan 2015

IMB: Asia Maritime Piracy Attacks on the Rise

Piracy, armed attacks on ships in Asia at highest since 2006. Asia accounted for three-quarters of global maritime piracy last year after a surge in tanker hijackings helped to fuel a 22 percent jump in armed robbery and pirate attacks on ships in the region. There were 183 actual and attempted piracy and robbery of ships in Asian waters last year, against 150 in 2013, a intergovernmental anti-piracy group told shipping industry and law enforcement personnel on Wednesday. This put Asia's share of the total at 75 percent, after the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) released its global report for 2014 showing there were 245 actual and attempted acts of piracy worldwide last year. In 2013, piracy in Asia accounted for less than 60 percent of the total.

22 Aug 2013

Pascagoula-based Cutter Returns Home After 29-day Patrol

Coast Guard Cutter Decisive (USCG photo)

The Coast Guard Cutter Decisive returned to its homeport of Pascagoula Aug. 15 after a 29-day patrol conducting law enforcement and search and rescue in the Gulf of Mexico and the Straits of Florida. The crew of the Decisive conducted commercial fishing vessel boardings while in the Gulf of Mexico and ensured vessel compliance with federal laws and regulations. During one boarding on a commercial fishing vessel, two of its crewmembers were found to be undocumented aliens. They were taken aboard Decisive and then transferred to other law enforcement personnel in South Padre Island, Texas.

11 Apr 2013

Maltese Freighter Captain Pleads Guilty in U.S. Federal Court

The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Oregon, announced that the Vessel Master of the Adfines East plead guilty to operating a commercial vessel under the influence of alcohol in the Port of Portland. Valeriy Sharykin, 62, a Russian citizen, and captain of a Maltese freighter plead guilty before U.S. Magistrate John V. Acosta. Defendant Sharykin was charged by information with negligent operation of a commercial vessel, a class A misdemeanor. Sharykin was the licensed Vessel Master on the Adfines East, a 602 foot commercial vessel, weighing over 24,000 gross tons and sailing under the flag of Malta. While conducting an official inspection of the vessel on April 8…

16 Jun 2010

Charleston, One Stowaway Dead, Two Detained

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) issued a news release stating that during unloading of a ship that had arrived in Charleston from the Dominican Republic, dock workers identified several individuals absconding from a container. One individual was detained by crewmembers of the vessel. A second individual jumped into the water and was apprehended by local marine law enforcement personnel. A third individual was found in the container and pronounced dead by local emergency services personnel. Subsequently, a hole was discovered in the top of the container through which persons could enter and exit. (6/12/10). (Source: Bryant’s Maritime News)

07 Feb 2013

LRAD Corporation Receives LRAD 300X Order

LRAD Corporation (NASDAQ: LRAD), a provider of long range acoustic hailing devices (AHDs), has announced  it has received a $323,000 order for LRAD 300X systems and support equipment. The LRAD 300X systems will be installed on Colombian Navy coastal defense patrol boats. "We're pleased to receive another follow-on order from Colombia, which highlights the opportunity for international sales growth of LRAD products," remarked Tom Brown, the Company's president and CEO. "The Colombian Navy will be employing the LRAD 300X systems to broadcast warnings and critical information to vessels from safe, stand off distances. The order from the Colombian Navy follows prior orders from the Colombian Air Force…

15 Jun 2011

ADM Papp Testifies on U.S. Coast Guard Security Capabilities

ADM Robert J. Subcommittee. capabilities. For more than 220 years, the U.S. Coast Guard has safeguarded the nation’s maritime interests and natural resources on our rivers and ports, in the coastal regions, on the high seas, and around the world. The Coast Guard saves those in peril and protects the nation’s maritime border, marine transportation system, natural resources, and the environment. Coast Guard men and women – active duty, reserve, civilian and auxiliarists alike – deliver premier service to the public. military force of maritime professionals whose broad legal authorities, assets, geographic diversity, and expansive partnerships provide a persistent presence in the inland waters, ports, coastal regions, and far offshore areas of operations.

04 May 2012

USCG Confiscate Catch, Detain Canadian Fishing Vessel

U.S. Coast Guard personnel, working with members of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, interdicted a Canadian commercial fishing vessel allegedly fishing illegally on Lake Erie in waters subject to U.S. and Ohio jurisdiction. Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources personnel contacted Coast Guard Sector Detroit, alerting watchstanders in Sector Detroit’s Command Center of a commercial vessel potentially fishing in U.S./Ohio waters near North Bass Island. A law enforcement team from Coast Guard Station Marblehead, Ohio, launched aboard a 33-foot Special Purpose Craft-Law Enforcement and determined that the ADCO II was actively engaged in fishing about 160 yards inside U.S. waters. Aircrews from Coast Guard Air Station Detroit and U.S.

07 Jun 2012

Record Breaking Month for Drug Seizures

Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Bob Papp.

The Coast Guard and partner agencies seized 11,300 pounds of marijuana before it reached U.S. shores in May, breaking a single-month record set a decade ago. "The Coast Guard and our interagency partners have already interdicted more marijuana near the U.S. maritime border with Mexico in the first two quarters of fiscal year 2012 than it did in all of 2011,” said Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Bob Papp. The record-breaking month started May 6 with the interdiction of approximately 600 pounds of marijuana and hash with an estimated street value of $544,200 off the coast of Miami.

26 Oct 2009

DHS to Fund S.C. State & Local Port Security

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano and U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham announced an agreement between DHS and the state of S.C. to use $800,000 in fiscal year 2009 homeland security grant funds to support state and local law enforcement personnel stationed at SeaHawk, a U.S. Coast Guard-led security initiative operating at the Port of Charleston. "SeaHawk represents a critical partnership between federal, state and local law enforcement partners to share information and coordinate response." said Secretary Napolitano. "Today's announcement will enhance our capabilities to deter terrorists and other criminals. "Today's announcement was very good news for the people of Charleston and South Carolina as a whole," said Senator Graham.