Coast Guard Cutter Spencer (WMEC 905) crew member conduct small boat operations while patrolling the Florida Straits, March 21, 2025. Spencer’s crew conducted a maritime border security patrol after completing nearly two years of service life extension upgrades at the Coast Guard Yard in Baltimore. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Haylee Casey)
Below is a news release from Coast Guard News. Two things surprised me about the news release.
First, while it talks a lot about migrant interdiction there is no mention of actually interdicting anyone.
Second, I had expected Spencer to be transferred into the Pacific following their SLEP. There have been public statements that the Coast Guard would move another WMEC into the Pacific. After having spent two years in the yard, it would have seemed a good time to change homeport. Because cutters operating in the Western Pacific are far from their homeport and repair facilities, you might think a SLEPed ship, that had had its engines replaced, would be more reliable and therefore better suited for patrols far from home.
Since this is the first complete SLEP, perhaps they felt they needed to get more post–SLEP experience. Meanwhile, despite supposed greater emphasis on the Pacific, PACArea now has only 9 large patrol cutters–6 NSCs and 3 WMECs. When I retired PACArea had 14–10 WHECs and 4 WMECs.
Coast Guard Cutter Spencer returns home after Operation Vigilant Sentry patrol, service life extension upgrades
PORTSMOUTH, Va. — The crew of Coast Guard Cutter Spencer (WMEC 905) returned to their home port in Portsmouth, Friday, following a 92-day deployment in support of alien interdiction operations in the Florida Straits.
Deployed in support of Homeland Security Task Force – Southeast (HSTF-SE) and Operation Vigilant Sentry (OVS) in the Seventh Coast Guard District’s area of responsibility, Spencer’s crew conducted search and rescue, and maritime border security operations to support the ongoing U.S. mission to protect the maritime borders of America.
On April 6, Spencer’s crew rescued a mariner from a capsized vessel approximately 35 miles northeast of Boynton Beach, Florida. Coast Guard Cutter Margaret Norvell’s crew embarked the survivor who was transferred to the Royal Bahamas Defense Force in good condition.
Prior to the patrol, Spencer was part of the service life extension program (SLEP) for two years getting upgrades at the Coast Guard Yard in Baltimore.
“Although our time in Baltimore was challenging, the officers and crew of Spencer were motivated to get the ship ready for operations and embark on our inaugural post-SLEP patrol,” said Cmdr. Justin Strock, commanding officer of Spencer. “In support Homeland Security Task Force – Southeast, we provided a clear visible deterrent to anyone considering illegal entry into the country.”
Established in 2003, HSTF-SE is the DHS-led interagency task force charged with directing operational and tactical planning, command and control, and functions as a standing organization to deter, mitigate and respond to maritime mass migration in the Caribbean Sea and Florida Straits.
OVS is the 2004 DHS plan that provides the structure for deploying joint air and surface assets and personnel to respond to irregular maritime migration in the Caribbean corridor of the United States. Its primary objectives are to prevent the unnecessary loss of life at sea while deterring and dissuading maritime mass migration alongside our federal, state and local partners.
Spencer is a 270-foot, Famous-class medium endurance cutter. The cutter’s primary missions are alien interdiction, counter-drug operations, enforcement of federal fishery laws, and search and rescue in support of U.S. Coast Guard operations throughout the Western Hemisphere.
Chuck Hill's CG Blog 
But they need to play the game against aliens and the mass migrating hoards, does not matter if they see anyone, needs to be in the patrol report. I was surprised they didn’t sneak around the corner into The Gulf of America.
As a supporter of the CG pushing 30 years, sorry to be such a cynic
It is remarkable they did not find any migrants. Maybe the faster and much more numerous FRCs are getting there before the slower WMECs.