Admiral Kevin Lunday, acting commander of the United States Coast Guard (USCG), announced on the agency’s website that they will increase their presence on the coasts of Puerto Rico and the areas under their jurisdiction.
"The United States Coast Guard is the world's premier maritime law enforcement agency, vital for protecting maritime borders, territorial integrity, and sovereignty of the United States," the admiral began.
He continued: "According to the President's Executive Orders, I have ordered my operational commanders to immediately increase assets (cutters, aircraft, ships, and deployable specialized forces) to enhance the presence and focus of the Coast Guard, starting with the following key areas:
- The southeastern border of the United States approaching Florida to deter and prevent a massive maritime migration from Haiti and/or Cuba;
- The maritime border around Alaska, Hawai’i, the US territories of Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands;
- The maritime border between the Bahamas and South Florida;
- The southwest maritime border between the United States and Mexico in the Pacific Ocean;
- The maritime border between Texas and Mexico in the Gulf of America; and
- Support to Customs and Border Protection in maritime portions of the southwest border of the United States.
"Together, in coordination with our colleagues from the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Defense, we will detect, deter, and intercept illegal migration, drug smuggling, and other terrorist or hostile activities before they reach our border."
After being sworn in as the 47th President of the United States, Donald Trump signed several executive orders, one of which included using the armed forces to "defend" the border from the entry of immigrants without American citizenship and from illicit trafficking.
Although the Coast Guard is a military branch, it is under the command of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).