The Coast Guard and its Homeland Security Task Force – Southeast federal, state, local, and international partners will continue to patrol by land, air and sea to rescue and repatriate anyone attempting to enter the U.S. unlawfully by sea.

The crews of Coast Guard Cutter Raymond Evans and Cutter Richard Etheridge transferred 109 people to the Royal Bahamas Defence Force, Sunday, following an interdiction near Anguilla Cay, Bahamas. U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations (CBP-AMO) aircrews notified Coast Guard Sector Key West watchstanders of a migrant venture near Anguilla Cay and crews diverted to interdict them.

The crew of Coast Guard Cutter Thetis repatriated 196 people to Haiti, Monday, following two migrant voyage interdictions on June 5 and June 6. A CBP-AMO aircrew notified Coast Guard District Seven watchstanders, Wednesday, of a migrant venture north of Cap-Haitien, Haiti. Another CBP-AMO aircrew notified Coast Guard District Seven watchstanders, Thursday, of a migrant venture north of Île de la Tortue, Haiti. Crews diverted to interdict both vessels.

“Irregular maritime migration is unlawful and extremely dangerous. The OVS maritime border security mission is often equal parts law enforcement and humanitarian response, especially as we enter hurricane season and marine weather becomes more severe and unpredictable,” said Lt. Nick Fujimoto, Coast Guard District Seven enforcement officer. “The Coast Guard urges any potential migrants considering the journey: don’t take to the sea and risk your life just to be sent back. Use the safe, orderly and lawful pathways available like the CHNV process.”

Once aboard a Coast Guard cutter, migrants are processed to determine their identity and are provided food, water, shelter, and basic medical attention before repatriation to their country of origin or return to the country from which they departed.

For more information about Operation Vigilant Sentry including imagery, visit these links:

• HSTF-SE performs OVS migrant interdiction mission in the Caribbean Basin
• HSTF-SE OVS maritime migration interdiction and repatriation b-roll video
• HSTF-SE OVS maritime migration detection and interdiction b-roll video

On June 5, the Department of Homeland Security announced that U.S. immigration enforcement and asylum procedures across the southern border are more strict. Last Tuesday, the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Attorney General jointly issued an interim final rule that generally restricts asylum eligibility for those who irregularly enter across the southern border – including the southwest land border and the southern coastal borders. These new measures are designed to increase the processing and consequences for those who cross our borders irregularly or who attempt to present themselves at Ports of Entry without authorization, allowing DHS to more quickly remove individuals who do not establish a legal basis to remain in the United States.

For more information, follow these links to Department of Homeland Security fact sheets:

• Securing the Border | Homeland Security (dhs.gov)
• DHS Continues to Strengthen Border Security, Reduce Irregular Migration, and Mobilize International Partnerships
• Presidential Proclamation to Suspend and Limit Entry and Joint DHS-DOJ Interim Final Rule to Restrict Asylum During High Encounters at the Southern Border
• CBP One Facilitated Over 170,000 Appointments in Six Months, and Continues to be a Safe, Orderly, and Humane Tool for Border Management
• Data From First Six Months of Parole Processes for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans Shows That Lawful Pathways Work

For breaking news, follow us on X (formerly Twitter). For Task Force updates, follow @HSTF_Southeast on X. For additional information, find us on Facebook and Instagram.

MAIZURU, Japan – U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Waesche (WMSL 751) departed Maizuru, Japan, June 6, following several engagements with the Japan Coast Guard, Republic of Korea Coast Guard and multiple Japanese dignitaries. Once underway, the Waesche, the Japan Coast Guard vessel Wakasa (PL 93), and the Republic of Korea Coast Guard patrol vessel Taepyongyang (KCG 3016) conducted a joint search and rescue exercise at sea.

Waesche arrived on June 3 and is the first U.S. Coast Guard cutter to pull into Maizuru.

While moored in Maizuru, the Waesche crew attended a reception to commemorate the first joint search and rescue exercise between the three coast guards. Capt. Tyson Scofield, U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Waesche commanding officer, met with Rear Adm. Hisada Takahiro, Japan Coast Guard 8th Regional commander and Maizuru Mayor Akitsu Kamota to discuss the continued cooperation between the three nations, specifically recognizing the importance search and rescue response efforts.

“This joint search and rescue exercise with the Japan Coast Guard, Republic of Korea Coast Guard and U.S. Coast Guard highlights the strong bond between our maritime nations,” said Tyson. “Increasing interoperability to assist mariners at sea, highlights the strength of our maritime cooperation. Together, we continue to build strong relationships with like-minded nations throughout the Indo-Pacific.”

During the search and rescue exercise, officers from the three coast guards joined as observers on each nation’s ship to share best practices and learn from each other. This provided each coast guard an opportunity to work together with each other’s crews during the exercise.

Waesche is proud to support the United States’ continued efforts to facilitate force-multiplying partnerships in the region to bolster interoperability across the Indo-Pacific.

Waesche is assigned to Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 15, the Navy’s largest DESRON and the U.S. 7th Fleet’s principal surface force. DESRON 15 regularly assumes tactical control of surface units operating in the area.

Commissioned in 2010, Waesche is the second legend-class national security cutter and is homeported in Alameda, California. National security cutters are 418-feet long, 54-feet wide, and have a 4,600 long-ton displacement. They have a top speed in excess of 28 knots, a range of 12,000 nautical miles, and can hold a crew of up to 170. The advanced technologies of the national security cutter class ships are designed to support global operations and missions.

RIO DE JANEIRO — U.S. Coast Guard Cutter James (WMSL 754) arrived in the port of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil for a scheduled visit, Monday.

This visit marks James’ third stop as the cutter continues its multi-mission deployment in the South Atlantic Ocean, exhibiting the U.S. Coast Guard’s partnership with Brazil and strengthening the interoperability of the two nations’ maritime forces to counter illicit maritime activity and promote maritime sovereignty throughout the region.

“Working with the Brazilian navy has been a successful demonstration of how our countries can work together,” said U.S. Coast Guard Capt. Donald Terkanian, James’ commanding officer. “James has had the opportunity to enhance relations between the U.S. and Brazil while also addressing the threats posed by illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, port security, and in facilitating safe and lawful maritime commerce and travel.”

James embarked Brazilian navy Lt. Cmdr. Fernando Schild in April of 2024. Brazil and the United States’ naval services both use unmanned aerial systems to provide increased maritime domain awareness across a variety of mission sets.  The embarked Brazilian officer is part of Brazil’s first ship-based unmanned aerial systems squadron, and the embarkation of this officer aboard James highlights the robust partnership between the two nations and their shared commitment to upholding the rules-based international order at sea.

In recent years, the United States and Brazil have partnered to share and exchange maritime tactics, techniques, and procedures. Since 2009, the U.S. Coast Guard has provided 34 mobile training team deployments and three resident training courses to Brazil in the areas of crisis management, mobile command systems, port security, maritime law enforcement, search and rescue, and disaster response. Both countries are dedicated to the responsible management of marine resources, demonstrating their shared commitment through the continued integration of their naval forces.

James, staffed by 150 men and women and is one of the largest and most technologically advanced ships in the Coast Guard’s fleet. The crew is dedicated to missions including combatting drug trafficking and monitoring for illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing activities in the Atlantic. Their work not only supports U.S. interests but also contributes to regional stability and security.

James is the fifth Legend-class national security cutter in the Coast Guard fleet and is currently homeported in Charleston, South Carolina. The national security cutters can execute the most challenging national security missions, including support to U.S. combatant commanders.

James is under the command of U.S. Coast Guard Atlantic Area. Based in Portsmouth, Virginia, U.S. Coast Guard Atlantic Area oversees all Coast Guard operations east of the Rocky Mountains to the Arabian Gulf. In addition to surge operations, they also allocate ships to work with partner commands and deploy to the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific to combat transnational organized crime and illicit maritime activity.

For information on how to join the U.S. Coast Guard, visit GoCoastGuard.com to learn about active duty and reserve, officer and enlisted opportunities. Information on how to apply to the U.S. Coast Guard Academy can be found here.

SAN DIEGO  –  Approximately 29 nations, 40 surface ships, 3 submarines, 14 national land forces, over 150 aircraft and more than 25,000 personnel will participate in the biennial Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise scheduled June 26 to Aug. 2, in and around the Hawaiian Islands.

RIMPAC 2024 is the 29th exercise in the series that began in 1971. As the world’s largest international maritime exercise, RIMPAC combines force capabilities in a dynamic maritime environment to demonstrate enduring interoperability across the full spectrum of military operations.

The theme of RIMPAC 2024 is “Partners: Integrated and Prepared.” To promote a free and open Indo-Pacific, Exercise RIMPAC is the premier joint and combined maritime exercise, utilizing and preserving a world class maritime training environment. With inclusivity at its core, RIMPAC fosters multi-national cooperation and trust, leverages interoperability, and achieves respective national objectives to strengthen integrated, prepared, coalition partners.

This year’s exercise includes forces from Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Denmark, Ecuador, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Peru, the Republic of Korea, the Republic of the Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Tonga, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Hosted by Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet, RIMPAC 2024 will be led by Commander, U.S. 3rd Fleet, who will serve as the Combined Task Force (CTF) commander. For the first time in RIMPAC history, a member of the Chilean Navy, Commodore Alberto Guerrero, will serve as deputy commander of the CTF. Rear Adm. Kazushi Yokota of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force will serve as vice commander. Other key leaders of the multinational force will include Commodore Kristjan Monaghan of Canada, who will command the maritime component, and Air Commodore Louise Desjardins of Australia, who will command the air component.

During RIMPAC, integrated and prepared partners train and operate together in order to strengthen our collective forces and promote a free and open Indo-Pacific. RIMPAC 2024 contributes to the increased interoperability, resiliency and agility needed by the Joint and Combined Force to deter and defeat aggression by major powers across all domains and levels of conflict.

Details of RIMPAC activities and imagery are available at http://www.cpf.navy.mil/rimpac and https://www.dvidshub.net/feature/RIMPAC2024. Media coverage of RIMPAC 2024 is authorized and encouraged, but in all cases will be coordinated through the Combined Joint Information Bureau (CJIB). Media interested in covering the exercise should fill out the following form:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdSTgxjVU15yNS-2OB_BKyzTxJQSjbVzecnbj5XU9vUke6QRQ/viewform?usp=sf_link

Any additional questions/queries should be sent to rimpac.media@gmail.com, or the C3F PA team (619-767-4383). Contact information for the RIMPAC CJIB will be made available prior to the beginning of the exercise.