House Homeland Security hearing spotlights maritime smuggling, Coast Guard readiness and calls for expanded authority

At a House Homeland Security Committee joint hearing, federal law enforcement and Government Accountability Office witnesses said transnational criminal organizations are exploiting maritime routes to move drugs, people and weapons and urged changes in authority, technology and resourcing to meet the threat.

The hearing opened with Representative Juan Jimenez (chairman) framing the session as an assessment of “the evolving tactics, geographic patterns, and operational strategies employed by transnational criminal organizations” and of Department of Homeland Security components’ maritime posture. Jonathan Miller, executive assistant commissioner for Air and Maritime Operations (AMO) at U.S. Customs and Border Protection, told the committee that “countless vessels enter or operate in U.S. territorial waters every day, making detection of illegal activity and apprehending associated smugglers challenging.”

Why it matters: witnesses said maritime smuggling remains a major national-security and public-safety risk even as land-border enforcement changes. Rear Admiral Adam Shamie, the Coast Guard assistant commandant for response policy, said the service “tripled our force lay down” after a national…