Law Enforcement News

U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Resolute’s crew offloaded approximately 2,570 pounds of cocaine worth more than $19.3 million and transferred six suspected drug smugglers to federal authorities, Thursday, at Base Miami Beach.The seized contraband was the result of three interdictions in the Caribbean Sea by the crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Tahoma and the crew of the USS Billings with an embarked Coast Guard law enforcement detachment.The following assets and crews were involved in the interdiction operations:USCGC TahomaUSS BillingsCoast Guard Helicopter Interdiction Tactical SquadronU.S.

A new multi-million dollar Security and Rescue Training Center (SRTC), the first commercial facility of its kind in the world, is set to be built in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). It will serve as a regional hub for advanced, first-class, certified mission-based training for Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS), law enforcement, special forces, and commercial enterprises across the world.Created by investment firm Sahra Group, the facility, opening in 2028, will be constructed and operated in partnership with leader in solutions for aircrew training and simulation, AMST Group.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Thursday he had authorised the military to board and detain Russian ships in British waters to disrupt a network of vessels that his government says enables Moscow to export oil despite Western sanctions.The decision comes as other European nations, including France, Belgium and Sweden, have stepped up efforts to detain Russia's so-called shadow fleet of tankers used by Moscow to fund its four-year war against Ukraine.Starmer said he approved…

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Wednesday he has given the military permission to board and detain Russian ships his government alleges are part of a network of vessels that enables Moscow to export oil despite Western sanctions.The decision comes as other European nations have stepped up efforts to disrupt Russia's so-called shadow fleet of tankers used by Moscow to fund its four-year war against Ukraine.Starmer said he approved more aggressive action against the…

The global maritime industry has long been the arterial system of the world economy, responsible for over 90% of global trade. For centuries, the primary dangers to a vessel were physical: crushing storms, mechanical failure, or the threat of piracy. However, as we move through 2026, the industry has reached a critical juncture. The rapid digitization of the sector—driven by the need for logistical optimization and fuel efficiency—has fundamentally shifted the threat landscape.

The maritime domain has always been central to global stability and our nation’s prosperity. In today’s rapidly evolving security environment, its importance has never been more pronounced – or more vulnerable. Over ninety percent of global trade moves across the world’s oceans, making maritime transportation the backbone of international commerce, energy distribution, and economic resilience. Yet this vast ecosystem faces escalating risks including geopolitical tensions, deteriorating infrastructure…

The U.S. Coast Guard has accepted delivery of the 62nd Fast Response Cutter, USCGC Vincent Danz (WPC 1162), in Key West.Danz was serving in the New York City Police Department, Emergency Services Unit, ESU Truck 3, when he responded to the World Trade Center as part of a massive emergency response and was killed when the World Trade Center collapsed. He was posthumously awarded the New York City Police Department’s Medal of Honor for his heroic deeds. His actions that day embodied the Coast Guard's core values of honor…

Cuban forces killed four people and wounded six others aboard a Florida-based speedboat that entered Cuban waters on Wednesday and opened fire on a Cuban patrol, the Cuban government said at a time of heightened tensions with the United States.The wounded were evacuated and receiving medical attention, while the Cuban patrol commander was also wounded, Cuba's Interior Ministry said in a statement, adding that the matter was under investigation to clarify exactly what happened.The highly unusual incident took place as the United States has blocked virtually all oil shipments to the island…

India has seized three U.S.-sanctioned tanker ships linked to Iran this month and stepped up surveillance in its maritime zone to curb illicit trade, a source with direct knowledge of the matter said on Monday.India aims to prevent its waters from being used for ship-to-ship transfers that obscure the origin of oil cargoes, the source added.The seizures and heightened surveillance follow an improvement in U.S.-India relations. Washington earlier this month announced it will cut import tariffs on Indian goods to 18% from 50%…

Last week, Governor Gavin Newsom announced that California had disrupted several major wildlife trafficking operations, including seizing hundreds of illegal products made from ivory, rhino horn, walrus tusks, suspected bear gall bladders, saiga antelope, and turtle shells.“The international illegal market for these products encourages poaching and threatens global biodiversity — California wants no part of it. We’re using every tool at our disposal to catch and shut down these trafficking rings…

Mosaic tiles, crane parts, buses, expensive fabric and 'vegetable spring rolls'. These are just some of the elaborate concealment methods criminals have used to try to smuggle drugs into Australia.In the 2025 calendar year, Australian Border Force (ABF) intercepted varied air, mail and sea cargo consignments of illicit substances and precursors destined for Australian shores and, with the AFP, seized:• 9.2 tonnes of methamphetamine, which had an estimated street value of $5.5 billion…

The Australian Federal Police (AFP) and the Australian Border Force have congratulated authorities in French Polynesia over the reported seizure of about 4.87 tonnes of cocaine intercepted in the Pacific Ocean, with the drugs reportedly bound for Australia.AFP Commander Stephen Jay commended the work of the authorities in French Polynesia and said: “AFP members posted in the Pacific and Taskforce Thunder members will seek to work collaboratively with authorities in French Polynesia…

Fluid Marine, a U.S. builder of mission-ready rigid inflatable boats for law enforcement, search and rescue, and commercial operators, announced today that Tony Van Meter has joined the company as Executive Vice President, effective January 12, 2026.Van Meter brings more than three decades of experience in the maritime industry, with a career that began in operational service with the United States Coast Guard, followed by service as a Marine Enforcement Officer, and later progressing…

The ReCAAP Information Sharing Centre (ISC) issued its 2025 annual report on piracy and armed robbery against ships in Asia highlighting that 132 incidents of piracy and armed robbery were reported to in 2025 - a 23% increase over the 107 incidents reported in 2024.One hundred and eight of these were located in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore (SOMS), a 74% increase over 2024 numbers. This is the highest number of incidents recorded in the SOMS during the 19-year period from 2007 to 2025.The incidents were mostly opportunistic theft committed during hours of darkness between 8pm and 6am.

The face of U.S. shipbuilding continues to evolve at speed, as Magnet Defense LLC has completed its acquisition of Metal Shark, bringing together autonomous systems, artificial intelligence and established U.S. shipbuilding capacity to accelerate delivery of unmanned surface vessels (USVs) for national security missions.The combination positions the newly integrated company as a supplier of AI-enabled USVs for U.S. and allied military customers, with Metal Shark’s Louisiana shipyards serving as production hubs supporting fleet operations and missile defense missions…

Russia said on Wednesday that the U.S. seizure of a Russian-flagged oil tanker in the Atlantic was a violation of maritime law, and a senior lawmaker described it as "outright piracy".Russia's Transport Ministry said contact with the vessel, the Marinera, had been lost after U.S. naval forces boarded it near Iceland as part of efforts to block oil exports from Venezuela."In accordance with the 1982 U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea, freedom of navigation applies in the high seas…

The U.S. Coast Guard is waiting for additional forces to arrive before potentially attempting to board and seize a Venezuela-linked oil tanker it has been pursuing since Sunday, a U.S. official and a source familiar with the matter told Reuters.The ship, which maritime groups have identified as the Bella 1, has refused to be boarded by the Coast Guard. That means that the task will likely fall to one of just two teams of specialists - known as Maritime Security Response Teams - who can board vessels under these circumstances…

U.S. Senator Ron Wyden has contacted seven maritime shipping companies as part of an inquiry into cartel-linked fuel smuggling between the United States and Mexico, asking the firms to explain their vetting procedures for ensuring their tankers aren't used to transport illicit hydrocarbons, according to copies of the letters seen by Reuters.The letters from Wyden, who is the most senior Democratic member of the Senate Finance Committee, were dated Friday. They come as stolen crude and bootleg fuel have become the second-largest revenue source for Mexican cartels after drugs…

Almost A$9 million ($6 million) worth of cocaine hidden inside a refrigerated shipping container (reefer) has been seized after Australian authorities intercepted the cargo on its arrival into Port Botany in New South Wales.Australian Border Force officers identified the consignment and conducted an x-ray examination which identified anomalies in the rear of the container.Further examination located 22 individually wrapped plastic blocks, with an estimated total weight of 27kg. Presumptive testing of the consignment returned a positive reading for cocaine.

Nigeria's anti-narcotics agency is working with its U.S. and British counterparts to investigate the origins of a $235 million cocaine shipment seized at Lagos' Tincan Port, in one of the country's largest drug hauls.The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) said in a statement on Tuesday that 1,000 kg of cocaine was discovered in an empty container at a terminal over the weekend. Terminal operators alerted the NDLEA and other port security agencies, which jointly examined…

Marilyn Hubalde still remembers the first time she heard the thunderous chop of military helicopters swooping over this northernmost outpost of the Philippines, less than 90 miles from Taiwan. It was April 2023, when Filipino and American troops descended on the cluster of 10 emerald green islands of Batanes province for amphibious warfare drills.“We were terrified,” the 65-year-old Hubalde recalled. “We thought China might attack when they learned there were military exercises in Batanes.” Hubalde’s helper…

A series of U.S. strikes against suspected drug vessels in the eastern Pacific killed 14 alleged drug traffickers and left one survivor, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Tuesday, the latest operation in President Donald Trump's counter-drug campaign.The strikes in the Pacific come against the backdrop of a U.S. military buildup in the Caribbean that includes guided-missile destroyers, F-35 fighter jets, a nuclear submarine, and thousands of troops. The administration has ordered the Ford carrier strike group to the region…

VIKING Life-Saving Equipment, a maritime safety solutions specialist and supplier of high-performance boats, has signed a contract with the Norwegian Customs Service (Tolletaten) to deliver a new fleet of cutting-edge patrol and fast response craft.The new boats will strengthen Tolletaten’s maritime capabilities and support its law enforcement and inspection duties in Norwegian waters.The agreement covers the delivery of four VIKING Norsafe boats including one Marathon S-900, powered by twin 350 HP Mercury engines…