Department of Homeland Security

Shoppers fearful of crime at retail locations

A recent nationwide survey by Flock Safety and Zencity reveals a significant shift in consumer behavior due to escalating concerns over organized retail crime. Approximately one-third of consumers see crime at retail locations as a serious issue, prompting many to alter their shopping habits.

The survey highlights that 58% of shoppers now prefer online shopping to avoid potential in-store crime incidents. Furthermore, among those who have witnessed retail crime firsthand, 63% are more inclined...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/shoppers-fearful-of-crime-at-retail-locations

USCG Commandant Linda Fagan relieved of duties

The first woman to lead the U.S. Coast Guard, Admiral Linda L. Fagan has been relieved of her duties as Commandant. Members of the service learned of the change in the following ALCOAST email.

ALCOAST 021/25 – JAN 2025 LEADERSHIP NOTIFICATION TO USCG WORKFORCE
U.S. Coast Guard sent this bulletin at 01/21/2025 07:25 AM EST
O 210536Z JAN 25 MID180001563582U
FM COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC
TO ALCOAST
BT
UNCLAS
ALCOAST 021/25
SSIC 1000
SUBJ: LEADERSHIP NOTIFICATION TO USCG WORKFORCE
1.To All Hands:
The following...

https://www.marinelog.com/news/uscg-commandant-linda-fagan-relieved-of-duties/

Former Coast Guard Academy cadets file complaints alleging sexual violence

In ongoing fallout from the 2023 CNN “Operation Fouled Anchor” report on sexual assault and harassment at the United States Coast Guard Academy, thirteen former academy cadets have filed separate Federal Tort Claims Act administrative complaints against the United States Coast Guard; its parent agency, the Department of Homeland Security; and its former parent agency, the Department of Transportation,

The complaints were filed by attorneys at Sanford Heisler Sharp on behalf of Jane Does 1-12 and...

https://www.marinelog.com/legal/former-coast-guard-academy-cadets-file-complaints-alleging-sexual-violence/

GAO Report on Coast Guard Disaster Preparedness

The following is the July 2023, Government Accountability Office report, Coast Guard: Clarifying Emergency Policies and Assessing Needs Could Improve Unit Disaster Preparedness.

What GAO Found

Although Coast Guard field personnel serve as first responders for natural and human-made disasters, agency policies about maintaining emergency food and water for field personnel are unclear. For example, Coast Guard disaster preparedness policies
do not identify a clear requirement for field units to...

https://news.usni.org/2023/07/26/gao-report-on-coast-guard-disaster-preparedness

2022 U.S. Coast Guard Strategy

The following is the 2022 U.S. Coast Guard Strategy released this week.

From the report

Our Value to the Nation

America’s waterways, coasts, and seas are the lifeblood of our economy, our national security, and our way of life. They are a source of vast natural resources— fueling commerce, transportation, and defense while enriching our lives. The safety, security, and prosperity of America depend on reliable access to the maritime environment, protection from threats on the sea, and protection of...

https://news.usni.org/2022/10/14/2022-u-s-coast-guard-strategy

TSA to require air, rail operators to report cybersecurity incidents

A UPS plane's tail at an airport with air cargo below to illustrate an article about cybersecurity reporting requirements for the rail and air sectors.

U.S. rail and air operators will be required to report cybersecurity incidents under new Transportation Security Administration rules, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said on Wednesday. 

TSA will issue directives later this year that will apply to “higher-risk railroad entities,” passenger and all-cargo airlines, and airport operators. The directives will require the appointment of cybersecurity coordinators, while rail entities will need to have contingency and recovery plans as...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/tsa-to-require-air-rail-operators-to-report-cybersecurity-incidents

Commentary: The fabric of withhold release orders

The latest round of withhold release orders (WRO) issued by U.S. Customs and Border Protection involves one of the most pervasive soft commodities used in retail: cotton. According to the End Uyghur Forced Labour Coalition, one in five cotton garments sold globally contains fiber or yarn sourced from the Xinjiang region.

But while direct shipments from banned Hefei Bitland to Lenovo and Asus can be easily tracked, it’s the indirect shipments of items containing cotton along the intra-Asia trade...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/commentary-the-fabric-of-withhold-release-orders

Coast Guard Picks First East Coast Homeport for Offshore Patrol Cutters

Rendering of Coast Guard Offshore Patrol Cutter. Eastern Shipbuilding Image

The Coast Guard has picked the homeport for the service’s first pair of Offshore Patrol Cutters on the East Coast, the service announced on Wednesday.

The two OPCs will be based at Naval Station Newport, R.I., home of the Naval War College, Navy Officer Candidate School and Surface Warfare Officers school.

“NAVSTA Newport provides strategic operational reach and significant logistics support to our Service, helping secure...

https://news.usni.org/2020/08/12/coast-guard-picks-first-east-coast-homeport-for-offshore-patrol-cutters

Cracking the case of the containerized cocaine

cocaine

The drug bust aboard the container-ship MSC Gayane on June 17, 2019, was spectacular in every sense: the largest drug seizure in U.S. history, over a billion dollars’ worth of cocaine, a ship operated by one of the world’s largest carriers and owned by one of America’s largest banks, a conspiracy among the crew, nighttime liaisons off the South American coast, a globe-spanning trafficking network … it sounded like a maritime version of “Scarface.”

A year later, the saga continues to unfold.

The...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/cracking-the-case-of-the-containerized-coke

Schultz Details Coast Guard Rationale for Offshore Patrol Cutter Re-Compete

An artist’s conception of Eastern Shipbuilding’s Offshore Patrol Cutter design.

ARLINGTON, Va. — The head of the Coast Guard said production of the service’s Offshore Patrol Cutter construction is almost a year behind schedule due to damage from Hurricane Michael.

Commandant Adm. Karl Schultz expects delivery of the first of the cutters from Eastern Shipbuilding in 2023 with the next three to be delivered in succeeding years, he said speaking at a Navy League breakfast.

The service may know more...

https://news.usni.org/2019/12/10/schultz-details-coast-guard-rationale-for-offshore-patrol-cutter-re-compete

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