The US Coast Guard on Tuesday announced the deployment of personnel and equipment to various maritime borders in the United States, a day after President Donald Trump fired the head of the military branch.
In a statement, the acting commander of the Coast Guard, Adm. Kevin Lunday said they were the Coast Guard will work to detect and deter illegal migration in support of Trump’s executive orders issued this week.
“The U.S. Coast Guard is the world’s leading maritime law enforcement agency, critical to protecting America’s maritime borders, territorial integrity and sovereignty,” Lunday said. “Pursuant to the President’s executive orders, I have directed my operational commanders to immediately increase assets — cutters, aircraft, ships and specialized deployable forces — to increase the presence and focus of the Coast Guard. . . .”
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The Coast Guard said it was taking immediate steps to back up executive orders signed by President Donald Trump a day after he was sworn into office. (US Coast Guard)
Key areas where the authorities will focus their efforts turn the water off Florida to deter and prevent migrants from Haiti and Cuba from entering the U.S., and maritime borders around Alaska, Hawaii, as well as the U.S. territories of Guam, Puerto Rico, American Soma, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Lunday also wrote in a statement that the agency would target “the maritime border between Texas and Mexico in the US Gulf.”
On Monday, Trump signed an executive order renaming the Gulf of Mexico. in federal executive order: “Restoring Names That Honor America’s Greatness,” Section 4 rebrands “the area formerly known as the Gulf of Mexico … an integral part of our once-growing nation … and an indelible part of America” – to “the Gulf of America.”
The reference appears to be the first time a federal agency has acknowledged a name change.
The Coast Guard said it would also target the Bahamas and southern Florida, and between the US and Mexico in the Pacific Ocean.
In addition, the Coast Guard will support US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) authorities on the maritime portions of the US Southwest Border.
“Together, in coordination with ours Department of Homeland Security and colleagues from the Department of Defense, we will detect, deter, and prevent illegal migration, drug smuggling, and other terrorist or hostile activities before they reach our border,” the press release said.
A US Coast Guard ship has sailed off the coast of Key West, Florida. The Coast Guard said Tuesday it will deploy additional resources to specific areas in support of President Trump’s executive orders to combat illegal immigration. (iStock)
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On Monday, Trump also issued a series of executive orders cracking down on illegal immigration.
Among the many accusations was the dismissal of Adm. Linda Lee Fagan, 61, who was fired by acting Homeland Security Secretary Benjamin Huffman.
Commander of the US Coast Guard, Adm. Linda Fagan was fired by Benjamin Huffman, acting secretary of homeland security. (Getty Images)
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Huffman did not give a reason for the firing, but a senior DHS official told Fox News that Fagan was fired for failing to address border security threats, insufficient leadership in hiring and retention, mismanagement of key acquisitions like icebreakers and helicopters, excessive focus to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives and “erosion of trust”. the mishandling and cover-up of Operation Fouled Anchor, which was an internal Coast Guard investigation into cases of sexual assault on Coast Guard Academy.
Fox News Digital’s Charles Creitz contributed to this report.
