The U.S. Coast Guard surged aviation assets beginning in late January 2025 to support border security efforts at the Mexico-U.S. frontier. U.S. COAST GUARD
The U.S. Coast Guard began deportation flights in late January 2025 to support security efforts at the Mexico-U.S. border. The Coast Guard began “alien expulsion flights” on January 25, 2025, with the 11th Coast Guard District in California leading the effort. “Through these ongoing operations, the Coast Guard is detecting, deterring and interdicting aliens, drug smugglers and individuals intent on terrorism or other hostile activity before they reach our border. The Coast Guard continues to surge assets and personnel from across the nation to enhance presence in key areas and secure U.S. borders and maritime approaches,” according to a February 2, 2025, news release.
The Coast Guard’s role is to assist with the transportation of aliens to designated locations in California and Texas, where the Department of Defense will relocate them to other countries. The maritime agency is surging assets and personnel from around the nation — including Air Stations Elizabeth City, Kodiak, Sacramento, San Diego and Hawaii — to support this Department of Homeland Security-led operation, a Coast Guard spokesperson told Task & Purpose, a military affairs website. The flights began after an emergency declaration by the U.S. government. “In accordance with the President’s Executive Orders, the Coast Guard continues to surge assets and leverage its unique capabilities to protect America’s borders, territorial integrity, and sovereignty,” said Adm. Kevin Lunday, the Coast Guard’s acting commandant, in a January 25, 2025, news release. “Today’s operation exemplifies our coordination with our Department of Homeland Security and Department of Defense teammates, through which we are detecting, deterring, and interdicting aliens, drug smuggling, and other terrorist or hostile activity before it reaches our border.”
The deportation flights aren’t the only role being played by the Coast Guard to secure the border. In a January 21, 2025, news release, the Coast Guard announced a series of deployments of assets and personnel to aid the effort across U.S. maritime borders:
- The southeast U.S. border approaching Florida to deter and prevent a maritime mass migration from Haiti and/or Cuba.
- The maritime border around Alaska, Hawaii, the U.S. territories of Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
- The maritime border between the Bahamas and South Florida.
- The southwest maritime border between the U.S. and Mexico in the Pacific.
- The maritime border between Texas and Mexico in the Gulf of America.
- Support to Customs and Border Protection on maritime portions of the southern U.S. border.
The increased Coast Guard border patrols will increase maritime security. “The U.S. Coast Guard is the world’s premiere maritime law enforcement agency, vital to protecting America’s maritime borders, territorial integrity and sovereignty,” Lunday said. “Per the President’s Executive Orders, I have directed my operational commanders to immediately surge assets —cutters, aircraft, boats and deployable specialized forces — to increase Coast Guard presence.”
The number of migrants being deported was not immediately available. According to the agency, the number interdicted by the Coast Guard rose to 13,000 in 2023 from 3,600 in 2021. “We are unable to provide specific details on the number of personnel and their exact locations to ensure operational security and the safety of our crews; however, we remain fully operational and committed to the mission,” a Coast Guard spokesperson told the South Florida Sun Sentinel in January 2025.