USCG Cutter Harriet Lane welcomes new commanding officer: On April 21, Cmdr. Benjamin Goff relieved Cmdr. Dorothy Hernaez as commanding officer of the USCG Cutter Harriet Lane (WMEC 903) in a change of command ceremony at Coast Guard Base Portsmouth, Virginia. “It has been an honor to serve as the commanding officer of Harriet Lane these past two years,” said Hernaez. Goff reported to Harriet Lane from the Coast Guard’s Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Cyber, and Intelligence (C51) Service Center in Portsmouth, where he served as the Command, Control, and Navigation product line manager. The change-of-command ceremony is a historic military tradition representing the formal transfer of authority and responsibility for a unit from one commanding officer to another. The event reinforces the continuity of command and provides an opportunity to recognize the crew’s accomplishments. Learn more.
Coast Guard repatriates 18 migrants to the Dominican Republic, following interdiction of migrant voyage in the Mona Passage: On April 22, the crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Joseph Tezanos repatriated 18 migrants (17 men and a woman) to a Dominican Republic navy vessel. The migrants were interdicted in the Mona Passage, the waters between the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. The exclusion is the result of ongoing efforts by Caribbean Border Interagency Group partner agencies to combat illegal migrant smuggling. “These 18 migrants are among the hundreds of others who risk their lives yearly to enter Puerto Rico illegally on makeshift grossly overloaded vessels,” said Lt. Anthony Orr, Cutter Joseph Tezanos commanding officer. Learn more.
USCG Cutter Tampa offloads $94.6M in cocaine: On April 20, USCG Cutter Tampa crew offloaded approximately 5,500 pounds of cocaine, worth an estimated $94.6 million, in Miami, after interdicting a low-profile vessel off the coast of Punta Gallinas, Colombia. “This event is the perfect example of numerous key partners unifying our efforts to counter transnational criminal organizations who look to exploit the maritime environment,” said Lt. Cmdr. Jason Neiman, Seventh District public affairs officer. "By strengthening partnerships, we counter threats together." Learn more.
Coast Guard reminds boaters that tribal, Canadian marinas remain off limits: On April 20, the Coast Guard reminds recreational boaters that some tribal and Canadian marinas remain closed to limit the spread of COVID-19 in Seattle. As the United States and Canada are still temporarily restricting all non-essential travel across its borders, this applies at sea as well. All Canadian ports and marinas remain closed to U.S. boaters. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police are also patrolling the waterways to detect any cross-border crime and ensuring that boaters are complying with travel restrictions. “As the weather continues to improve, we would like to remind all recreational boaters that tribal and Canadian marinas are restricted in order to help stop the spread of COVID-19,” said Cmdr. Torey Bertheau, chief of response, Coast Guard Sector Puget Sound. Learn more.