Posts Tagged ‘Customs and Border Protection’
Southeast Alaska Mass Rescue Exercise 2009
JUNEAU, Alaska - The City of Ketchikan Alaska, Holland America Line, Customs and Border Protection, and Coast Guard Sector Juneau have initiated planning efforts to jointly sponsor a mass rescue exercise simulating the joint response to the evacuation of a cruise ship in Southeast Alaska.
Coast Guard teams up with CBP to interdict five migrants
SAN DIEGO — Five Mexican migrants were apprehended this afternoon by Coast Guard officers and Customs and Border Protection marine interdiction agents as they tried to illegally enter the U.S. by boat.
At 9:26 a.m., the Coast Guard received a report from CBP officials of suspicious activity aboard a red speedboat headed northbound into U.S. waters, about a quarter-mile off shore.
Coast Guard Repatriates 146 Dominicans to La Romana, Dominican Republic
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico - The crew of Coast Guard Cutter Key Largo repatriated 146 Dominican migrants to La Romana, Dominican Republic Friday morning, following an at-sea interdiction by Caribbean Border Interagency Group (CBIG) agencies Wednesday.
Coast Guard law enforcement personnel detained 11 Dominicans of the 157 migrants aboard the interdicted yola, for attempting to enter illegally into the United States or a U.S. Territory on multiple occasions. The United States Attorney’s Office in Puerto Rico accepted to prosecute their cases.
Coast Guard repatriates 40 Dominicans to La Romana, Dominican Republic
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico - The crew of Coast Guard Cutter Matinicus repatriated 40 Dominican migrants to La Romana, Dominican Republic Wednesday, following an at-sea interdiction by Coast Guard law enforcement crews Monday.
The crew of a U.S. Customs and Border Protection Caribbean Air & Marine Branch fixed-wing aircraft located a migrant yola Monday morning while patrolling waters north of Arecibo, Puerto Rico.
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Coast Guard and Customs Joint Targeting Center Commissioning on Friday
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - The Coast Guard and Customs and Border Protection will officially commission a joint targeting center for inbound commercial vessel and air traffic Friday at 10 a.m.
The Joint Maritime Advance Scheduling and Targeting Team is a local and nationally unique initiative to increase maritime safety and security in Northeast Florida ports. The program calls for increased coordination between CBP and the Coast Guard by establishing protocols to jointly screen inbound vessels more than 300-gross tons and air traffic arriving in the Northeast and Central Florida.
JMASTT leverages each agency’s expertise by fully integrating Coast Guard vessel screening processes with CBP vessel and air vetting practices of crew, cargo and passengers. Subject vessels are targeted for appropriate inspections and control measures are instituted based on screening results.
Previously, the system of controlling vessel arrivals into the Port of Jacksonville was passive and vessels assumed permission to enter port unless specifically denied access by the Coast Guard or CBP. JMASTT incorporates a process for issuing vessel control numbers in the ports of Jacksonville, Fernandina, Fla., and Port Canaveral, Fla., to indicate concurrent CBP and Coast Guard approval for vessel arrivals or departures. JMASTT has effectively partnered with marine pilots in Fernandina, Jacksonville and Port Canaveral to provide an additional layer of protection against vessels entering port without a JMASTT issued control number.
JMASTT is a prototype initiative within the Department of Homeland Security that will eventually be incorporated at other ports nationwide. Director Richard Quinn, CBP area port director and Capt. Paul Thomas, Coast Guard captain of the port, will be on hand to provide a tour of the new facility.
Coast Guard suspends search for 12-year-old girl in Niagara River
NIAGARA, N.Y. — The U.S. Coast Guard suspended the search for a 12-year-old girl who fell off of a rock and into the Niagara River Wednesday.
The Coast Guard and multiple agencies searched more than 36 hours for the missing girl.
A Coast Guard Air Station Detroit HH-65C Dolphin helicopter, a Station Niagara 25-foot response boat, two Coast Guard Auxiliary small boats, a Customs and Border Protection rescue helicopter, the New York State Police and the Erie County One rescue helicopter completed multiple search patterns, but were unable to find any signs of the victim.
“A search like this one and the decision to suspend the search weighs heavy on the heart of all responders,” said Lt. David French of the Ninth Coast Guard District. “Our sincerest thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of this young lady.”
The search is suspended pending new information.
Coast Guard interdicts Mexican migrants
SAN DIEGO — Twenty Mexican migrants were apprehended this morning by Coast Guard and CBP officers as they tried to illegally enter the U.S. by boat.
At 9:30 a.m., the Coast Guard received a report from a Good Samaritan of suspicious activity aboard the 20-foot recreational vessel La Estrella, about 18 miles off Point Loma, Calif. The caller reported that 20 people were on the small, overloaded vessel. A vessel from Coast Guard Station San Diego, a vessel from Customs and Border Protection, and the Coast Guard Cutter Haddock were diverted to the scene, as well as a Coast Guard MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew.
On board, they found the 20 migrants, who were embarked by Coast Guard Station and CBP vessels.
“We invite the help of America’s boating public to assist the Coast Guard in keeping our waterways safe and secure,” said Capt Tom Farris, Commander of Coast Guard Sector San Diego. “This is a good example of how a vigilant boater can directly contribute to the protection of our homeland. We appreciate the Good Samaritan’s assistance.”
The Haddock towed the vessel to Coast Guard Sector San Diego. The migrants were turned over to Customs and Border Protection marine interdiction agents for further processing.
Coast Guard and CBP Searching for 3 South of Jamaica
MIAMI - Search and Rescue coordinators at Coast Guard’s Seventh District Command Center in Miami are organizing a search for three people reported missing from a capsized vessel south of Jamaica, Monday.
While conducting law enforcement patrols Sunday, a Customs and Border Protection P-3 AEW (Advanced Early Warning) maritime patrol aircraft, stationed in Corpus Christi, Texas, detected a target of interest with it’s domed radar system and directed a second P-3 LRT (Long Range Tracker), stationed in Jacksonville, Fla., to investigate.
The LRT crew located the target and observed a man clinging to the hull of a capsized go-fast vessel 235-miles south of Jamaica. The aircrew contacted the District Seven Command Center and SAR coordinators requested the closest merchant vessel recover the man. Once aboard the ship the man reported three other people from the go-fast were unaccounted for.
Upon report of the three missing people, SAR controllers diverted the Coast Guard Cutter Tahoma and tasked a C-130 Hercules fixed-wing aircraft from Air Station Clearwater and a P-3 LRT from Jacksonville to conduct searches in the area.
The cutter Tahoma is a 270-foot medium endurance cutter homeported in Portsmouth, N.H.