▶ 0:00:00this successful operation. This decisive action sent a clear message to adversaries worldwide. The United States must not be trifled with. This operation is personally significant to me as my family fled to America from the Cuban communist regime over 70 years ago. Actually, 65 years ago. The United States is the shining light of democracy and through his operation can support a future of democracy in Venezuela.
▶ 0:00:27America is a leader in peace through strength and must continue to confront threats around the world. Cuba must be considered next. Just the other day, I echoed President Trump's executive order to impose strict tariffs on all countries that u end or send oil to uh Cuba's dictatorships to end the Castro's regime once and for all. I have called for the immediate end of oil shipments to Cuba that fund the corrupt communist regime and crush the Cuban people.
▶ 0:00:55It's why I'm eager to hold today's hearing on the Coast Guard's role in protecting our homeland from Venezuela's actions, which helped pave the way for the success of Operation Absolute Resolve. Securing our maritime front by halting and disrupting these sanctioned oil tankers from Venezuela is key to unlocking security and freedom in our corner of the Western Hemisphere.
▶ 0:01:15We are grateful for the Coast Guard's bravery and exceptional tactical operations to properly conduct these right of visitation boardings and seize vessels found in violation of US and international law. This hearing will highlight the deployable specialized force historic drug interdiction results, seizing nearly 510,000 pounds of cocaine in fiscal year 2025.
▶ 0:01:37We have also the opportunity to hear how the deployable specialized forces have become one of the most tactically capable maritime forces of the United States and what their future holds amid an everinccreasing maritime threat landscape. We appreciate GAO for being here to testify uh to its review of the Coast Guard's deployable specialized forces and areas for improvement. Congress should consider GAO's recommendations and provide further direction for the future of the Coast Guard.
▶ 0:02:04We should also consider the initiatives laid out in the Coast Guard's recently released force design 2028 which calls for a deployable specialized forces command. We are grateful to have witnesses here today to discuss this important topic and also appreciate the Coast Guard's willingness to work with us in order to count uh continue this dialogue in a classified setting in the near future so members can learn more about the specifics of these oil tanker seizures off the coast of Venezuela.
▶ 0:02:31Hearing directly from operational leaders from the joint inter agency task force south would be beneficial for members to receive further details on operational impacts, emerging threats, and any ongoing challenges. Thank you. And now I recognize the gentleman from Louisiana, Mr. Carter, for sitting in for ranking member Macyver today for his five minutes for an opening statement.
▶ 0:02:51Good morning. Uh thank you, Mr. Chairman, for convening this hearing. Thank you for also recognizing me to provide opening remarks. as ranking member Macyver regrettably could not be here today. I also like to thank our witnesses for joining us today. Rear Admiral Barata, I recognize you joining us amid a shutdown affecting the Coast Guard and other branches of the armed forces.
▶ 0:03:14Thank you for your incredible To state the obvious, our military service members deserve to be paid for their service and I hope you can come to we can come together quickly to pass funding for the Coast Guard along with reforms desperately needed at the Department of Homeland Security. Today we're here to discuss Coast Guard's deplorable specialized forces. These specialized forces compromise comprise some of the Coast Guard's most elite, highly trained units.
▶ 0:03:42Their activities exemplify the Coast Guard's wide range of critical missions as they deploy to conduct conduct some of the most important service services and high-risk operations across a variety of challenging environments. Specialized forces missions vary from advanced interdiction and b and boarding against hostile targets to responding to oil spills and hazardous material releases.
▶ 0:04:12These specialized forces dive underwater to repair ships in harsh environments of remote polar regions, chase down narcotic narcotic traffickers on the high seas, and help protect national security events like United Nations General Assembly. Last year, maritime safety and security terms were along were among the most. The Coast Guard forces that deployed to my home city of New Orleans to help protect Super Bowl 59.
▶ 0:04:41I want to thank you and the hardworking Coast Guard personnel who helped make that event safe and successful along with all of the work you do for Louisiana to ensure the community of maritime commerce and the safety of my constituents are always held at its highest. Most recently, the Coast Guard's deployable specialized forces uh have conducted a series of high-profile, high-risk boardings of sanctioned oil tankers near the coast of Venezuela.
▶ 0:05:09While I strongly disagree with the Trump Trump administration's operation last month to deploy forces on land in Venezuela without congressional authorization as well as its bombing of alleged drug boats, which are not only illegal, but undermine the Coast Guard's efforts to encourage international maritime oper cooperation.
▶ 0:05:31In contrast, these all tankers border all tanker borderings represent a legal and effective way to enforce sanctions, enforce international maritime laws, and exert US influence. The Coast Guard should be commended for conducting these high-risk boardings without incident, demonstrating the skill and training of the services specialized forces.
▶ 0:05:56The deployable deployable specialized forces are critical to the Coast Guard's success as service. As a service, we must ensure that the Coast Guard has the resources, personnel, training, and strategies, and authorities to utilize these units effectively. The Government Accountability Office has done vital research to help the Coast Guard grow smarter, leaner, and more effective across its many missions.
▶ 0:06:23I look forward to hearing from both of our witnesses about the capabilities of the Coast Guard's specialized forces offer and how our committee can help the services come to grow to fruition and give you the absolute most state-of-the-art tools to do your jobs. I thank the witnesses joining us and Mr. Chairman.
▶ 0:06:43Thank you, Mr. Carter. Are the members of the committee reminded that opening statements may be submitted for the record? I am pleased to have a distinguished panel of witnesses before us today on this critical topic. I ask that our witnesses please rise and raise their right hands. Do you solemnly swear that the testimony you will give before the committee on homeland security of the United States House of Representatives will be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth? So help you God. Let the record reflect that the witnesses have answered in the affirmative. Thank you and please be seated.
▶ 0:07:14I would now like to formally introduce our witnesses. Rear Admiral David Barata uh serves as deputy commodant for operations policy and as commander 8th Coast Guard District overseeing Coast Guard operations across 26 states including the Gulf of Mexico, adjacent offshore waters and major uh inland waterways such as the Mississippi and Ohio River systems.
▶ 0:07:36Previously, he served as commander Coastg Guard Personnel Services Center where he led human resource policy and workforce management for nearly 45,000 active duty and reserve members. A 1993 graduate of the US Coast Guard Academy, where Admiral Barata holds a master of arts in national security and strategic studies from the Naval War College and served as senior military fellow at the Center for a New American Security.
▶ 0:08:04And I uh I also misstated something that you uh you are overseeing Coastg Guard operations across 26 states including the Gulf of America. Right. Okay. Heather Mloud uh is a director in the Homeland Security and Justice Team for the United States Government Accountability Office. Miss McCloud joined GAO in 2002. During the last 22 years, Miss McCloud has worked on a range of public uh policy issues at GAO.
▶ 0:08:29She currently leads the Coast Guard and maritime security issues portfolio and conducting a variety of reviews addressing issues such as Coast Guard workforce and strategic planning efforts and maritime port and supply chain cargo security. Prior to join joining the homeland security and justice team, Miss McCloud learn led reviews covering a broad range of topics in transportation policy including aviation safety, airline competition, transit programs, and highway bridge management.
▶ 0:08:57Miss McCloud has a master's degree in public administrations from the University of Washington and a bachelor's degree in international relations from American University. I thank each of our distinguished witnesses for being here today. I now recognize Rear Admiral Barata for five minutes to summarize his opening statement. Good morning, Chairman, Ranking Member, and distinguished members of the subcommittee. Thank you for the opportunity to testify today.
▶ 0:09:26I request that my written testimony be submitted for the record.
▶ 0:09:30Without objection.
▶ 0:09:31Thank you. The United States is a maritime nation and the Coast Guard stands as a vital instrument of national power, a military service, a federal law enforcement agency, and a member of the intelligence community tasked with controlling, securing, and defending our maritime borders and their approaches, facilitating commerce vital to economic prosperity, and responding to crises and contingencies that often arise with little or no warning.
▶ 0:10:00Our nation faces significant and evolving threats, including narot terrorists and transnational criminal organizations that smuggle deadly drugs, traffic people, bring violence to our communities, and use illicit cash through sanctioned oil to buy influence throughout the hemisphere. The Coast Guard is on the front line of these fights, pushing our borders out and targeting these networks where they are most vulnerable.
▶ 0:10:28The dedicated men and women of the Coast Guard are at the forefront of our efforts to defend our homeland. At the tip of the spear are the services deployable specialized forces. These highly skilled teams provide operational with a versatile and rapidly deployable toolkit to address everchanging and asymmetric threats.
▶ 0:10:50For instance, our maritime security response teams provide the nation's only federal maritime counterterrorism capability, and our tactical law enforcement teams embed with naval partners to execute dangerous drug interdictions. Our deployable specialized forces are prepared for the most demanding missions. Their rigorous training, often with the Department of War colleagues, ensures that they can deploy globally at a moment's notice.
▶ 0:11:20bringing unparalleled skills to bear against terrorism, weapons proliferation, piracy, transnational crime, and other domestic contingencies. Most recently, our operators conducted several law enforcement boardings aboard Darkfleet tankers to enforce sanctions at sea and uphold international law.
▶ 0:11:40These highly capable units are a crucial and adaptable force, ensuring the Coast Guard can not only patrol our waters, but dominate the maritime environment where the nation needs them most. Employing wellorganized force packages, in fiscal year 25, the Coast Guard achieved the largest annual maritime drug interdiction results in service history, seizing over 511,000 pounds of narcotics valued at more than 3.8 8 billion.
▶ 0:12:11This stopped over 193 million potentially lethal doses from reaching American communities. Over the past year, the Coast Guard has hardened and sustained to uh our our border to control and secure and defend that border and our maritime approaches starting with the southern border where the president declared a national For example, along the Rio Grand Valley, Operation Riverwall has already supported the apprehension or deterrence of over 300 individuals
▶ 0:12:43illegally trying to cross since it began in October of 25. And Operation Border Trident increased interdictions of aliens along the southwest border by 44% over the previous year. Our enhanced enforcement presence at our borders and maritime approaches protects the country against transnational criminal organizations and illegal aliens attempting to unlawfully enter the country, upholding our national sovereignty.
▶ 0:13:09To effectively meet these dynamic threats, the Coast Guard is pursuing a bold modernization of its people, assets, and capabilities through force design 28. Coupled with the historic investments made through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and the support of this subcommittee, we are transforming our service into a more agile, capable, and responsive fighting force to protect the American people and advance our national Thank you for the opportunity to testify today and allowing me to speak on
▶ 0:13:39behalf of the Coast Guard's men and women who have volunteered to serve the nation. I look forward to your questions.
▶ 0:13:45Thank you, Admiral Bara. I now recognize Miss McCloud. uh for 5 minutes to summarize uh her opening statement.
▶ 0:13:52Chairman Jimenez, Ranking Member Carter, and members of the subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to be here today to discuss GAO's work examining Coast Guard maritime security operations. These operations may be carried out by specialized forces units, which have the training and capabilities needed to handle drug interdiction, terrorism, and other threats.
▶ 0:14:15My testimony today focuses on persistent challenges Coast Guard faces in carrying out missions, including those involving specialized forces units and actions that GAO's work has identified to help Coast Guard address them. We've made dozens of recommendations to the Coast Guard to help address key challenges like staffing shortfalls, declining availability of vessels and aircraft, and acquisition issues.
▶ 0:14:42Regarding Coast Guard staffing shortfalls, in recent years, the Coast Guard has raised concerns that its mission workload has outpaced its workforce levels. Staffing gaps, particularly in specialized units like tactical law enforcement teams, can hinder drug interdiction efforts, counterterrorism operations, and missions. While the service recruited more enlisted me service members than it lost in 2024, that had not been the case in years prior.
▶ 0:15:11In [snorts] April 2025, we reported that even with the increase in recruiting, the service remained short of its enlisted workforce target. As a result, the Coast Guard was operating below the workforce level it deemed necessary. We made three recommendations to help address these challenges, including that the Coast Guard develop a clear plan to support its retention initiatives. specific to specialized forces.
▶ 0:15:37In 2019, we reported that the Coast Guard has taken steps to create a maritime law enforcement career path, which helped them retain qualified personnel. We also reported that the Coast Guard might not have the right mix and number of specialized forces to meet mission demands. For example, we reported that officials from some specialized forces units were underused while others were so busy that they had to turn down operations.
▶ 0:16:06In November 2024, the Coast Guard acknowledged that significant overlap in mission and mission capabilities related to specialized forces exist. Continued analysis remains important as the Coast Guard moves to establish a deployable specialized forces command as part of Force Design Another challenge I'd like to highlight is vessel and aircraft availability assets that specialized forces are often deployed from.
▶ 0:16:36The condition of Coast Guard assets has been in a state of decline for decades. Our work has shown a concerning trend that the cost of maintaining these assets is increasing at the same time that their availability is decreasing. For example, in June, we reported that operation availability of cutters that the Coast Guard relies on for its maritime security operations declined.
▶ 0:17:01We also reported that increasing maintenance challenges have led to cutters missing patrol These readiness challenges are not limited to cutters. In a separate report, we found that Coast Guard aircraft were not available for missions as often as a service deemed necessary.
▶ 0:17:19We made 10 recommendations in these reports to address cutter and aircraft Finally, our work has noted that acquisition program delays have been a longstanding challenge for the service and continue to affect the availability of Coast Guard assets. For example, the Coast Guard's newest cutters, the offshore patrol cutter and the Polar Security Cutter, are intended to support maritime security operations.
▶ 0:17:47But we found that combined, these two programs are years behind schedule and billions of dollars over their initial cost estimates. We've made dozens of recommendations on how Coast Guard can better manage acquisition programs. In conclusion, the spe the the Coast Guard specialized forces units include a range of capabilities that are vital to the services's ability to fulfill its missions.
▶ 0:18:12However, the Coast Guard faces significant challenges that can hinder its maritime security operations. Addressing our recommendations in these areas will help to ensure the Coast Guard is effectively and efficiently using available resources to carry out these operations and support national interests. This completes my prepared statement and I'd be pleased to answer any questions you may have.
▶ 0:18:38Thank you, Miss Mloud. U members will be recognized by order of seniority for their five minutes of questioning. I have I will recognize myself for five minutes of uh of questioning. Uh M. Mloud, your your report is quite troubling. Um and and so I'd like to get to the root causes of this uh on Uh are you saying that uh that the Coast Guard the Coast Guard has a number of authorized positions, right?
▶ 0:19:04I mean, this is the number of people you should have and that we're are we short on the authorized positions or do we need more authorized positions or both? I mean, what what is your estimate of what we need in order to get the Coast Guard up to its to its strength, the strength that it's needed in order to carry out its mission? More authorized positions or we just need to fill the ones that we
▶ 0:19:24At the time of our review, the Coast Guard was short of its authorized positions. Since then, in force design um the Coast Guard has plans to increase authorized positions, which uh we envision would have the same they would have the same challenges in recruiting and retention with even more positions to fill.
▶ 0:19:47Are they are they short right now of recruiting up to their authorized
▶ 0:19:52At the time of our review, yes.
▶ 0:19:54Do you know that's still the case? The Coast Guard reported its highest recruiting numbers um last year and then it's on track to to meet its targets
▶ 0:20:04which means filling every authorized
▶ 0:20:07Okay. So now if we have the number of people that we need the problem then becomes to the assets that they need in order to carry out their mission which are the ships and the aircraft of the Coast Guard. Correct. Right. And so you're talking about uh ships and aircraft. Is it due to age? Is it due to the Is it due to the ships and and the construction of them themselves? Is it due to the fact that we don't have enough maintenance personnel? What is what is causing the deficiency in the readiness of these uh assets?
▶ 0:20:37Our work has shown uh more recently the maintenance challenges um facing these older cutters and aircraft are
▶ 0:20:48because we don't have enough people or it's just the matter they're old and they're just breaking down more often. the age of the cutters. Um, some of the parts are unavailable, obsolete parts and and things like that.
▶ 0:21:00And the you're saying that the the the plan to replace these assets is way behind schedule and billions of dollars
▶ 0:21:09Okay. That calls for another hearing, I guess. All right. So, um, Admiral, uh, I got a couple of minutes left. um what percentage of the sanctioned oil vessels that are out there, how what percentage of them do you think that you actually, you know, interdict? Chairman, uh good morning. A very small percentage.
▶ 0:21:32Uh frankly, we we estimate that there's probably about 6 or 800 uh sanctioned dark fleet vessels uh in and about between Iran and Venezuela, China, and Russia. Um we we've interdicted about seven eight uh uh over the last two months and u some other countries are starting to to chip in. I think over in the Mediterranean we we've seen the British and the French do some things but it's a very small percentage.
▶ 0:21:58They operate out of um the rule of law uh on a consistent basis.
▶ 0:22:03Six to 800 of these uh ghost ships.
▶ 0:22:07That's that's what we estimate uh operating uh around the world.
▶ 0:22:12Wow. Okay. And what makes it so difficult to spot, interdict, etc. Just assets or can you spot them or they just they completely off the radar? Okay.
▶ 0:22:23It's it's a combination of things, chairman. Um they are uh they obiscate their position a lot of times you know all of our large commercial foreign vessels are required to do use an automatic identification system. Many of these vessels uh h have the means to easily have two or three sets of AIS aboard and kind of project their position somewhere else. They um they use false documents. They use false ownership.
▶ 0:22:49They claim the numbers of vessels that have already been destroyed and and taken apart in other places so that they look like they're another vessel. And so even when we can track them though, uh they're very hard to interdict. you know, for for instance, these some of these vessels that we've seen in Venezuela, if they're coming from the Middle East or the Far East, they they'll go around the south the southern tip of Africa and go right into Venezuela. So, without the right assets and the reasoning to board them on the high seas, it's very hard to get aboard.
▶ 0:23:17And I I think you've seen us do a lot of counterdrug interdictions on smaller vessels and even Dows over in uh the the Middle East. the you know what some of the vessels we're going on right now are 11 uh 1100 feet long very large uh crude carriers um very hard to interdict at sea without uh the without some support from the department of war or other
▶ 0:23:40Fair enough. Thank you. Uh I yield now. I recognize Mr. Carter uh from Louisiana for his five minutes.
▶ 0:23:46Thank you, Mr. Chairman. [clears throat] Admiral Bara, let's discuss the recent boardings of all tankers. First, I want to note that this [clears throat] committee has requested a classified briefing on these operations and we haven't received one yet. I hope we can work to make that happen in the in the near future. U my question concerns the video that administration has posted on some of these operations.
▶ 0:24:13I understand it may be good PR, but I want to make sure that we're not broadcasting sensitive tactics or the identities of our special operators to our enemies, putting them in harm's way. Is the Coast Guard being given the opportunity to review and if necessary, redact or block any of these videos before they share it with the world?
▶ 0:24:38Ranking member, uh good morning. We uh we see a lot of this um this footage uh before it goes out. Not all of it. It it depends. Some of it's Department of War footage, some of it's uh Department of Homeland Security. Um but it is it's all being processed through the White House. Um I think they are taking a close look at uh protecting the identity and the tactics that our our teams use.
▶ 0:25:02And I think the best way to do that obviously is to have you guys involved. I won't put you in the middle of that, but Mr. Chairman, I would ask that we where possible um request that the administration has heightened sensitivity of the protection of our men and women who are carrying out these highly sensitive um operations just to be sure that in our haste to bring public awareness that we don't put um our servicemen and women in harm's way.
▶ 0:25:29Um, as you know, one of the oil tankers the Coast Guard recently targeted, the Bella One, later renamed the Marinara, um, was able to bypass US forces and escape into the Atlantic. While the Coast Guard while the Coast Guard pursued it, uh, Russian military reported reportedly began repositioning naval assets as a submarine to protect the ship from seizure.
▶ 0:25:57Thankfully, US forces eventually intercepted the tanker without incident. But the episode raises some questions about the potential impacts of these boardings while enforcing sanctions is important and we all can agree we do not want to inadvertently escalate into direct hostilities with nations including Russia. What contingency plans are in place when the Coast Guard is pursuing these vessels and might encounter foreign military vessels?
▶ 0:26:25What are the rules of engagement uh your forces are operating under? And would you please, if we run out of time, if we can back this up with some written documentations on the actual policies that we have for the rules of engagement,
▶ 0:26:44ranking member, um thanks for the question there. I as far as the risks and the protocols and the contingencies in place um we we put stringent security measures stringent stringent uh contingency measures in place. Uh in the case of the Bella one we worked closely with our department of war partners over at Yukon.
▶ 0:27:04Um and you know as far as you know Russian assets, Russian military assets, deployers, um we ensured that we weren't at risk of of anything happening there. Uh we we were never um you know uh concerned at the risk level with the with Russian deployers impacting our ability to to conduct those law enforcement uh activities. We can um we can give you a little bit more. You you mentioned a classified briefing, sir. We'd be happy to do that.
▶ 0:27:33Uh and we we've prepared that and we'll uh when we can set up a time would like to come over and talk to you a little bit more about it.
▶ 0:27:39Uh that that'd be great. So without going into anything that might be confidential or might be conf that that we should do in in a more more secure the contingency plan of what happens in the case of meeting some other resurgence that may have bigger power or anticipate or maybe even a ambush. Um we should always obviously and I and I'm preaching to the choir but talking from a member of Congress's standpoint.
▶ 0:28:09We want to make sure that we're giving you all the tools that you need in our quest to capture these these illegal vessels that we never put um at risk our men and women in uniform who are out doing an incredible job. And I can't thank you enough for the incredible work that you do. Uh not just when the cameras are rolling as they've been doing most recently, but when no one's watching.
▶ 0:28:36uh rather it is uh search and rescue or capturing these tankers. We know that the work of the Coast Guard is vast. You guys have been phenomenal partners for us in uh in Louisiana, particularly in the aftermath of these horrific storms that we continue to have facing our communities. Uh you're sitting before Congress. Tell us what can we do and Oh, my time's already up, but if you could just finish, tell us what we can do to to arm you better.
▶ 0:29:05uh if you had a magic wand that you could wave today uh recognizing that this committee particularly this one in a bipartisan vein wants to give you the tools that you need to carry out your function safely.
▶ 0:29:17Ranking member I I think u the number one thing that you can continue to give us is is resources. Um I think under the reconciliation act we we've tried to get after some of the things that Miss Mloud highlighted assets. What we need on an annual basis is is the uh OEE money, the operating funds to hire more personnel to operate these ships, to do our deployable specialized forces missions um and also sustain those assets as we move forward. Uh we really appreciate your support.
▶ 0:29:46Thank you.
▶ 0:29:47Gentleman's time has expired. I now recognize a gentleman from Arizona, Mr.
▶ 0:29:51Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I want to thank the panelists for showing up to this subcommittee on frontline defenders and how the Coast Guard's deployable special forces combat narco terrorists and other maritime threats on high seas. Um,
▶ 0:30:07Admiral, when we talk about um deployable specialized forces, are we primarily talking about VBSS? We're we're talking about a um a group of a group of teams uh which includes our maritime security response team, our our boat forces teams that that deploy domestically and internationally, our port security units that do expeditionary there. There's a number of units that fall under that category for
▶ 0:30:36Okay. Thank you, Admiral. Um I have a little bit of experience with VBSS myself. I was on a VBSS team on the USS Gettysburg a couple decades ago. My last job in the Navy was uh in the SEAL teams. My job was to train and coach SEALs on the West Coast on how to do VBSS. So, a little bit of experience with what you guys are doing and I appreciate all I know that's a very complicated uh mission set and I appreciate all the hard work that you guys do.
▶ 0:31:06Um, Admiral, I want to ask you if if you believe that the president of the United States, the commander-in-chief under article two of the Constitution has broad executive powers for maritime security.
▶ 0:31:19You recognize that, sir?
▶ 0:31:21Yes. Yes, I recognize that.
▶ 0:31:22You recognize that the president may direct maritime interdictions when enforcing sanctions or national security measures, Admiral?
▶ 0:31:30Yes, I do. We follow that.
▶ 0:31:32Okay. So, one of the things that's concerned me as a former service member myself um is a video that was made by Senator Mark Kelly and several other senators who uh just a couple months ago um they made a video to tell service members that they don't need to follow unlawful orders. Admiral, are you familiar with this video?
▶ 0:31:55I I have not seen the video itself. Um, I I was following the the news story obviously and uh the escalation of the
▶ 0:32:02It made national news, did it not,
▶ 0:32:04It did indeed.
▶ 0:32:05Did you or any of uh any of the other highranking Coast Guard officers that you work with fear that a video might like might like that might undermine your chain of command?
▶ 0:32:20For from my standpoint, um I I have found that our service members uh will follow lawful orders. um if if uh if they you know as given you know I I find it interesting Admiral that uh I didn't see any videos made like that from members of Congress um during the Biden administration. I want to submit an article for the record. Um this is from CNN.
▶ 0:32:48Biden finalizes new rules for US drone strikes. President Joe Biden has signed a long-awaited classified policy tightening the rules for the CIA and Pentagon to carry out deadly drone strikes and commando raids conducted outside of traditional war zones. US officials said on Friday, this was october 7th, 2022. Did you notice that no members of Congress, including Senator Kelly, u made any videos during this time, Admiral?
▶ 0:33:17I I was I'm not familiar with that
▶ 0:33:19But you didn't see any videos, did you? I didn't. Not that I recall. No.
▶ 0:33:23As service members, we tend to follow these types of things, right?
▶ 0:33:26Yeah. I found that very interesting that they weren't making videos during that time frame about whether or not service members follow lawful orders or not. And I think we all know that, right, Admiral? Don't Don't we get that training in basic training that we're not supposed to follow unlawful orders?
▶ 0:33:43Absolutely. And at all the session sources, that is what we train our
▶ 0:33:48Yeah. So, did you find that video a little bit odd knowing that we all know
▶ 0:33:53I I find that it's, you know, for me as I reflect on it, I I think it's unnecessary. I think our our personnel will will know to follow lawful orders and uh to question unlawful orders.
▶ 0:34:04Yeah, that's what that's that's what I thought too. Um, Admiral, you guys we Congress delivered for you guys in a pretty big way during the reconciliation package. Is that
▶ 0:34:16That is absolutely correct. We gave you about $25 billion. Is that correct?
▶ 0:34:20Yes. Generational change for the Coast Guard, Congressman.
▶ 0:34:23And you guys had about 7 billion in uh maintenance backlog for infrastructure. Is that correct?
▶ 0:34:30Yes, that's correct.
▶ 0:34:31Do you h how do you how do you see the Coast Guard deploying that money to make sure that the Coast Guard is ready to uh carry out the nation's national security and homeland security needs in the next couple years? We under force design 28, Congressman, we have reorganized to ensure that the Coast Guard can obligate all of those funds uh quickly. Um we're not we're not waiting for the five years that that they're available to us.
▶ 0:34:58We want to spend those right away on maintenance on shore infrastructure to get after the problems that we have. Thank you. My last question for you, Admiral, is do you feel in the in the last couple months with the with the boat strikes and everything else going on, do you feel like you have given orders to your men to carry out any of these any of these strikes, any of these interdictions that have been deemed The Department
▶ 0:35:28of War has had the lead for these kinetic strikes. The Coast Guard has not been involved with them. So uh so I can answer that we have not I have not fel felt that way at all.
▶ 0:35:39Thank you Admiral. I yield back.
▶ 0:35:41Thank you gentleman from uh from Arizona. Are you submitting that report for the record?
▶ 0:35:46Without objection. I now recognize the gentleoman from South Carolina, Miss Biggs for her five minutes.
▶ 0:35:53Thank you so much. Thank you to our witnesses for being here today. And I'll uh direct my first question to Admiral Barado. So force design and I may overlap a little bit with Cong with Congressman Crane but um hopefully it'll kind of go in a different direction. So the force design 28 2028 outlines a plan to modernize the coast guard and to expand deployable capabilities.
▶ 0:36:21So, how does Force Design 28 aim to expand the recruitment of DSF personnel and set up training centers to equip the future of the DSF workforce? And for instance, um does the special mission training center have the capacity to support that
▶ 0:36:44Congresswoman, uh good morning. So, under force design 28, we do intend to uh expand our our workforce by 15,000 personnel. Um, and that'll include personnel to man the ships that you've helped us acquire uh the aircraft, but it'll also be um operators for our uh unmanned systems and also our deployable specialized forces.
▶ 0:37:07So we we can we intend to grow and uh we envision a very agile, adaptable workforce that includes a lot of deployable specialized forces. The special missions training center is a is a real valuable uh part of that. Our MLA academy at uh in Charleston is also is also a big part of that for our baseline law enforcement and then the SMTC is more of our advanced uh tactics and um you know we'll we plan to make some investments there.
▶ 0:37:35we need some assistance u with the infrastructure there, the number of personnel who are training, the type of training that we do, some of these vertical insertion tactics that we use for V VBSSER. Um so those type of things are are the ones that we need. Congresswoman,
▶ 0:37:51thank you. And my second question, what are the details on the Coast Guard standup of a DSF command and why is it necessary and what value does it add?
▶ 0:38:02Congresswoman, I appreciate that question. um for us um in in in response to Miss Mloud's work at GIO and her her colleagues uh we we've taken a look at DSF and we think we need to unify uh the command structure for all of our forces there. We have seen functional commands work over uh in Department of War like SOCOM uh in JOC and some of these other um functional commands. We've seen it work for us as well for our Coastg Guard Cyber Command.
▶ 0:38:30And so we think that unifying these elements will help us man, train, equip, deploy these uh our specialized forces uh in a better way, equip them in a better way, you know, whether that's, you know, uh travel money, whether that's uh funding for weapons, uh specialized tactics, all of those things. We think that putting that under one header will help us be a lot more efficient.
▶ 0:38:55Great. And I'll go a little bit further. What is the anticipated size of the command and where might it be located?
▶ 0:39:05Congresswoman, we're we're still early in that. We we're we are hoping uh by October to have a location. We we do have a team put together that's making some proposals and we're going to base some of the factors on, you know, you know, can we deploy out of there? Uh can we command out of there? Can we support the operational commander? We we have not narrowed that down and and the exact size um still is to be determined. We we don't plan to move any of our current units, any of our deployable deployable specialized forces, the units themselves.
▶ 0:39:34What we do expect is a command element that can focus on the training, that can focus on the funding and the equipping uh and how we deploy
▶ 0:39:43Well, I'll just end since my time is about to expire, but uh thank you for your service and for what you do. I have a huge respect um for you and I'm very grateful. So, thank you, Congresswoman,
▶ 0:39:54and I'll yield back.
▶ 0:39:56Gentlewoman yields back and I recognize a gentleman from Tennessee, Mr. Vaneps.
▶ 0:40:00Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you, Admiral Bar and Director Mloud for being here today. The United States has the best armed forces in the world, and as we've heard already, the Coast Guard's deployable specialized forces are one of the most agile. Seeing their work in the public eye recently has been gratifying, and I want to thank you, Admiral Barata, for the part the Coast Guard has played in making our country and the waters around us safer.
▶ 0:40:26The DSF is often the tip of the spear in actions that can quickly become inter agency operations. When a DSF unit boards a vessel, for example, those service members may need to quickly loop in inter agency partners as they find illegal cargo. Admiral, can you walk us through the maritime operational threat response process used to manage the moving pieces of inter agency coordination between the Coast Guard, Department of Justice, statement, Department of War, and others.
▶ 0:40:55Congressman, uh, good morning. Yeah. So, the the um our process there for counter drug for these for these dark shadow fleets are are very similar. U once we get aboard the first thing we do is we want to establish the nationality of the vessel and um we we then have to call back to the motor process and the motor process what that involves is the entirety of the inter agency department of state department of justice um other elements maybe even in the case of the tankers department of
▶ 0:41:25energy up to the white house so that we ensure that we are following international law and that we are able to exercise uh US law and authorities aboard the vessel. So for instance, uh when we board a uh a drug vessel, we we will we'll call back to the motor process and we'll either engage one of our bilateral um uh agreements that we have or we will go back to the Department of State to call that individual country and assess whether or not um they uh
▶ 0:41:55agree concur with the the the vessel's claim or they're allow allowing us to operate on a vessel that's under their subject to their authority. So on the tankers, we're doing something similar. Uh and and once we do that, u we we know we're in a good position to follow the law.
▶ 0:42:12Great. Thank you. Are there are there gaps that exist between the Coast Guard and these inter agency partners when conducting operations? And is there anything we can do in Congress to help close any of those gaps?
▶ 0:42:23We've we've found that it's been very successful uh over in in in in practice. Um, as I've said, we had our largest uh counterdrug uh year last year in FY25, 511,000 pounds, over uh three times some some of our previous years. Uh, and our tanker operations, I will tell you the motor process has been uh vital for us for our success here. But, um, there's there's no gaps that I can see right now, Congressman.
▶ 0:42:50Great. Thanks. Thanks, Admiral. Piv pivoting here. The the Trump administration has prioritized Western Hemisphere security and law enforcement such as enforcing sanctioned Venezuelan oil and the Coast Guard has been a crucial part of the overall approach. In the past year, it has seized huge amounts of illicit substances and disrupted criminal networks. Admiral, can you talk about how criminal organizations are adapting to increased law enforcement operations in the Caribbean and East Pacific?
▶ 0:43:16Congressman, um I can give you a couple examples. I you know the that we've talked about the dark fleet tanker um you know the use of those of of those that are uh the funds and revenue that come from the the oil that's being sold overseas is then is then replicated back in uh and put into the organizations. Um, so we've seen that we've seen um that revenues from illegal fishing.
▶ 0:43:43We've uh from illegal arm sales, uh humans human smuggling, those are all being used to feed drug networks. Uh they're being used to um then uh come back and and rearm uh and and re-resource uh some of the traffickers for semi-submersibles uh and and those type of assets um that are that they know are are really hard to find at sea. And so we've had to adjust our tactics as we go.
▶ 0:44:10One one followup to that. How are how are the Coast Guard's maritime on on your to that note? How how are your maritime drug interdiction operations changing and what what do you need to continue adapting to new trends?
▶ 0:44:23I think what we need is exactly what the Congress has given us and we need to obligate those funds. We need more cutters. We need more uh unmanned systems. Uh we need more intelligence programs. I, you know, I think what last year showed us, uh, you know, for Operation Pacific Viper over in the Eastern Pacific, that when we have a cutter like a national security cutter that has, uh, a hitron, a helicopter on the back with precision marksmen and the right small boats over the horizon, the right intelligence, the right tactical
▶ 0:44:54teams aboard to gather the evidence that we need, um, we we we are very effective in stopping uh, the drug traffickers.
▶ 0:45:02Admiral, thank you so much. Thank you for what you do. And, Mr. Chairman, I yield back. Thank you.
▶ 0:45:06Gentleman yields back. Thank the witnesses for their valuable testimony and the members for their questions. The members of the subcommittee may may have some additional questions for the witnesses and we would ask the witnesses to respond to these in writing. Pursuant to committee rule 7E, the hearing record will be held open for 10 days. Without objection, subcommittee stands