MARITIME SECURITY

Since 1790, we have been the "law of the sea."

In 2008, we interdicted nearly 5,000 undocumented migrants at sea, removed approximately 185 tons of U.S. bound cocaine, and enforced U.N. sanctions in the Arabian Gulf.

Maritime security takes a breadth of experience and skills - seamanship, diplomacy, legal expertise and combat readiness. When you join the Coast Guard, you are at the forefront of our nation's defense. 

      

We use broad law enforcement power with prudence and restraint primarily to suppress violations of our drug, immigration and fisheries laws, as well as to secure our nation from terrorist threats.

We are the lead agency protecting America’s seaward frontier against a torrent of illegal drugs. Our cutters and aircraft deploy off South America and in the drug transit zone. We intercept thousands of tons of cocaine, marijuana, and other illegal drugs that would otherwise find their way to American streets.

Our migrant-interdiction operations are as much a humanitarian effort as they are law-enforcement missions. In fact, most of our cases start as search-and-rescue missions on the high seas. Between 1982 and 2007, we interdicted over 225,000 migrants.

As a critical component of our national military fleet, we are a specialized service that maintains a high state of readiness.  Our national defense capabilities are essential to military operations in peacetime, crisis, and war.

As such, we’ve taken on ever-greater challenges to protect our nation against terrorism. We are in charge of the U.S. Maritime Defense Zone, which means as a Guardian you could be countering potential threats to American coasts, ports and inland waterways through port-security, harbor-defense and coastal-warfare operations and exercises.

In short, no other federal agency offers as potent a combination of law enforcement and military capabilities together with the legal authorities to carry them out.