DHS Announces Maritime Operations Coordination Plan
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) today unveiled an unprecedented cross-component Maritime Operations Coordination (MOC) plan to enhance the Department’s coordination capabilities when responding to threats against the United States and its interests.
The plan—which will strengthen coordination, planning, information sharing, and intelligence integration for maritime operations among the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)—was jointly signed by USCG Commandant Admiral Robert Papp, Jr., CBP Commissioner Alan Bersin, and ICE Director John Morton.
"As America’s maritime first responder, the Coast Guard works closely with our fellow DHS components and security partners to deter and respond to threats in our ports, along our coasts, and in waters of U.S. interest" said Admiral Papp. "This plan will combine resources from across DHS to strengthen our ability to protect our nation’s global trade and our citizens."
“The MOC provides a critical plan to enhance the coordination of our operations,” said Commissioner Bersin. “This coordination allows us to create a more effective, layered approach to protecting our borders while reducing duplication of effort between the components.”
In addition, the MOC plan acknowledges the unique nature of the maritime domain and the need for a layered approach to security, with particular emphasis on the sharing of information within DHS as well as among other federal, state, local, tribal, territorial and international partners.
"With the signing of the MOC plan, we will be able to better coordinate and collaborate with federal agencies in order to disrupt and dismantle criminal organizations who wish to do us harm," said Director Morton. "ICE's Homeland Security Investigations' unique law enforcement authorities will assist DHS components in countering maritime threats effectively and efficiently."
Following the signing of the MOC plan, component field-level supervisors will implement the requirements set forth in this plan—providing an active, layered and scalable security presence to deter and respond to threats against the United States as outlined in the National Strategy for Maritime Security.