At a hearing titled “Drugs, Thugs, and Fish: Examining Coast Guard Law Enforcement Effort,” Addison McDowell (R-NC), Vice Chairman of the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee, addressed the committee on the Coast Guard’s law enforcement missions. The session focused on efforts to stop illegal drugs and unauthorized migration along maritime borders, as well as combating illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
McDowell welcomed Rear Admiral David C. Barata of the United States Coast Guard and Heather MacLeod from the Government Accountability Office as witnesses. He stated, “The Coast Guard is our premier maritime guardian. Every day, Coast Guard cutters, small boats, aircraft, and boarding teams are protecting Americans from threats.”
He highlighted the Coast Guard’s role in securing national borders and referenced actions at the southern border following President Trump’s declaration of a national emergency. According to McDowell, “Illicit maritime activity is a national security threat with impacts far beyond our shores. The Coast Guard is essential to preventing dangerous drugs from poisoning our communities, boatloads of migrants from landing on our shores or perishing at sea on unseaworthy makeshift vessels, and countering Chinese efforts to plunder our fish stocks.”
McDowell cited an example from November when “Coast Guard Cutter STONE broke a record, offloading over 49,000 pounds of illicit narcotics, seized in 15 interdictions, valued at more than $362 million. This marked the most cocaine seized by a single cutter in one patrol in Coast Guard history.” He also noted that the service is working to address increased levels of maritime migration by securing 260 miles of the Rio Grande River.
On IUU fishing issues, McDowell said that in 2020 the Coast Guard identified it as the top global maritime security threat over piracy. He pointed out that IUU fishing causes significant economic losses for legal operators and identified China as a leading offender due to its government subsidies for distant-water fleets.
Despite these efforts, McDowell acknowledged ongoing challenges related to limited resources but mentioned recent congressional support: “Through the $25 billion-dollar generational investment Congress authorized in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, we have helped change the tide with new vessels and aircraft coming online. But there is more to be done.”
He concluded by expressing interest in hearing both what is working well within current operations and where improvements can be made based on oversight evaluations from both witnesses.
Further details about today’s hearing—including video footage and testimony—are available through this link: Click here for more information from today’s hearing.
