Coast Guard, Northern Mariana Islands Strengthen Maritime Security Presence in Western Pacific

Earlier this month, federal and local maritime law enforcement agencies patrolled the waters and ports in and around Saipan, the capital and largest island of the Northern Mariana Islands — a U.S. territory, boarding six small vessels and launching new coordination channels that expand the commonwealth’s ability to monitor and respond to threats in its surrounding waters.

The U.S. Coast Guard Sector Boarding Team led joint underway and shoreside operations alongside local agencies, March 18-22. Teams engaged 12 vessel contacts and completed six small vessel security boardings, while a joint patrol of the port of Saipan marked the first combined shoreside operation between the Coast Guard and local customs and biosecurity.

The operation also brought together key agency leaders for the first time. Boarding team members met with an Immigration and Customs Enforcement representative, the assistant director of the Northern Mariana Islands’ Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the newly appointed chief of the Saipan Marine Unit — reinforcing direct lines of communication and cooperation that strengthen maritime domain awareness across the commonwealth’s waters and surrounding exclusive economic zone.

“The Marianas sit at the center of Western Pacific maritime activity: commercial traffic, fishing, small vessels moving between islands,” said Coast Guard Lt. j.g. Thomas Forames-Su, supervisor of the boarding team. “These operations are about more than boardings. We’re strengthening the relationships and shared awareness that let us and our partners act faster and more cohesively.”

Maritime domain awareness is a shared responsibility across federal, local and community stakeholders. The islands’ economy depends heavily on the free flow of maritime commerce, fishing and tourism, all of which require safe, well-monitored waters. Joint operations, like this one, strengthen the network of agencies and protect those interests every day.

Building on the momentum from these operations, the Coast Guard and local partners are planning additional joint patrols, dockside security boardings and coordinated cutter operations, like the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Frederick Hatch’s recent patrol, in the waters around Saipan and to the north. Agencies are also working to deepen communication protocols and formalize interagency coordination agreements to expand joint response capabilities across the region.