The Trump administration has made protecting America’s border one of its highest priorities. In addition to increased patrols along the border and a record number of arrests, The United States Coast Guard is now tripling its assets on the Southern border to combat maritime drug and human smuggling.
“We’ve essentially tripled the amount of Coast Guard assets on the southern border,” said Peter Nelson, Officer in Charge of Coast Guard Station San Diego. “This has happened in the last two months.”
According to figures provided by the U.S. Coast Guard, the number of stops made on vessels carrying unlawful migrants has remained steady. Statistics show that for the current fiscal year, which began Oct. 1, 2024, there have been 260 to date.
For fiscal year 2024, there were 561. The year before there were 703.
“It’s been pretty consistent over the last few years,” Nelson said. “The one thing that has changed is the amount of boats and aircraft in the area to help detect and in the interdiction of folks coming across.”
The increased assets will help combat illegal drugs as well as human traffickers that poured over the border during the Biden administration.
On X, the Coast Guard showcased some of the assets used.
Have you ever wondered what assets and tools the Coast Guard uses to chase down a drug smuggler?
In this video, we showcase the USCGC Stone and the Coast Guard’s continued operations to control, secure, and defend the southern border and maritime approaches. Applying the full… pic.twitter.com/1D36bk0nh4
— U.S. Coast Guard (@USCG) March 27, 2025
President Trump made changing leadership at the Coast Guard one of his early priorities to refocus on protecting America and its citizens.
In January, Admiral Linda Lee Fagan, commandant of the Coast Guard, was fired by then-acting Secretary of Homeland Security Benjamin Huffman.
Fagan was fired for both prior operational failures under her watch and rampant political correctness and loyalty to DEI.
Her failures included ignoring border security threats, insufficient leadership in recruitment and retention, obsession with diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives (DEI), and an “erosion of trust” regarding her handling of sexual assault cases at the Coast Guard Academy in what is known as Operation Fouled Anchor.
