With a fleet of “go-fast” vessels and a support network stretching from Colombia to Mexico, the drug trafficking leader known as “Aquaman” coordinated the movement of more than 10,000 kilograms of cocaine along the Eastern Pacific seaboard, bound for the United States.

In early October, East Island was decimated by Hurricane Walaka - one of the most intense storms ever recorded in the Pacific Ocean - and effectively wiped off the map overnight.

A 57-year-old tour helicopter pilot suffered an undisclosed medical condition at the time of Monday afternoon’s accident at the Kaneohe Bay sandbar, the tour company said.

The Honolulu Fire Department, U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Marines all responded to a downed private helicopter on a sandbar in Kaneohe Bay on Monday evening. The three people aboard all suffered serious injuries.

Philly Shipyard chief executive Steinar Nerbovik has his sights set on a kind of ship that hasn't been made in the U.S. in decades: a heavy polar icebreaker for the Coast Guard.

Forty years ago Saturday, the Coast Guard Cutter Cuyahoga was cruising north on Chesapeake Bay when it was struck by a 521-foot Argentine coal freighter. Eleven men died.

State police and the U.S. Coast Guard are investigating the early-morning death of a Canadian man Tuesday who fell into the waters of the St. Lawrence River at the Eisenhower Lock. He fell while he was tying a ship off prior to entering the locks.

Over 10 days, the U.S. Coast Guard stopped three different boats — all of which were carrying drugs.

The U.S. Coast Guard and Navy medevaced an 83-year-old male Canadian passenger from a cruise ship about 150 miles north of Kaneohe Bay in Hawaii on Sunday.

The Defense Department has 2,216 active-duty personnel, 32 helicopters, 240 high-water vehicles and 32 swift-water boats ready to assist in relief efforts for the storm, which made landfall Wednesday afternoon.

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Crews aboard three Coast Guard cutters — the Stratton, the Seneca and the Active — confiscated the drugs from eight smuggling boats from late August to mid-September, officials said.

A proposal in Congress would require 50 percent of each incoming class at the Coast Guard Academy to come from a pool of congressionally nominated candidates.

A 78-year-old man suffering a possible stroke aboard a cruise ship off Nantucket was be evacuated by helicopter.

Scientists at sea on the largest ship in the Coast Guard’s fleet have seen signs of change as the ice in the north Bering Sea, the gateway to the Arctic from the Pacific Ocean, has been diminishing.

Paddlers who use the Potomac River near President Donald Trump's Loudoun County, Virginia, golf course filed a federal lawsuit Thursday morning to try to reverse a policy that closes a two-mile stretch of the river when the president is playing golf.

From hundreds of feet in the air, the U.S. Coast Guard helicopter spots boats navigating through large swaths of water. The tops of roofs are the only sign that the area in Brunswick County is a neighborhood instead of a river.

Chief Petty Officer Steve Kelly does the cabbage patch in the front seat of his lifted Ford pickup. "Who let the dogs out?" he sings as he swings his arms in a circle. "Coast Guard, Coast Guard." The other members of his Coast Guard team from Kentucky laugh or roll their eyes in embarrassment.

The Coast Guard Cutters Tahoma, Tampa and Seneca intercepted the six suspected smuggling vessels between late July and August in the eastern Pacific Ocean.

What was once Hurricane Florence has been plodding across North Carolina, turning cities into islands. The new landscape has pressed the Coast Guard, operating here many miles from the coast, into a combination of search and rescue service, FedEx and pet whisperer.

Servicemembers at North Carolina installations that felt the brunt of the storm were working Saturday to assess damage and warned that flooded streets and tornado threats should keep everyone who wasn’t required to report to stay sheltered. Navy ships and aircraft were heading back to Hampton Roads.

The Coast Guard was quick to apologize after a Coast Guard member flashed what some TV viewers claimed was a white power sign on MSNBC, saying the organization was aware of the clip and clarifying that it does not condone the flashing of the sign or what it represented.

A search that includes 17 FBI agents has yielded no sign of a 10-year-old girl who went missing in a remote, largely Inupiat Eskimo town north of the Arctic Circle on Alaska's western coast, prompting authorities to investigate whether foul play was involved. A Coast Guard helicopter and aircraft from wildlife troopers also have been used.

Tropical Storm Olivia — at times surging to a Category 1 hurricane during past days — is expected to arrive in the Hawaiian Islands Tuesday afternoon local time.

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The Navy said the primary explosion did not trigger a second, larger blast, indicating that the mine was inert. Navy officials said its “origins remain undetermined” and that an investigation is ongoing.

“Ben was holding onto my belt, and Randy was holding onto Ben. It must have looked like a circus,” Mike Sandidge said. They heard the child in the water doing three things: praying, apologizing, and promising never to do “it” again.

Environmental advocates are suing the U.S. Coast Guard on claims the federal agency is not prepared to clean up a Line 5 oil spill in the Straits of Mackinac in Michigan.

The U.S. Coast Guard has referred the July 19 sinking of a Branson duck boat to federal investigators to pursue a possible criminal case.

A month on the job, and Ensign Dana Rohde was at the helm of a 225-foot-long, 2,000-ton seagoing buoy tender.

After days of being unable to find any trace of the drugs, Haitian police called for assistance from the U.S. Coast Guard in Miami. Together, they eventually found a fraction of the suspected stash — about 109 kilos of cocaine and almost 16 kilos of heroin — still concealed on the ship.

A private plane crashed off the coast of Mayport late Friday morning, but the pilot survived in good shape, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.

A Coast Guard boat and helicopter from Georgetown went out to help with the clean up after a barge capsized in waters off Surfside Beach on Wednesday. The barge was there to begin dredging for sand for beach re-nourishment.

Four days after a scuba diver reported seeing an "unexploded ordnance" in Hart's Cove, the Coast Guard determined it was "an old wagon wheel."

All of the swabs will receive their fourth-class shoulder boards in a ceremony on Aug. 20, marking the start of their time as a cadet.

Crews from the Coast Guard Cutter Mohawk and from at least three other ships confiscated the drugs from early June through mid-July.

Recent rains have uncovered what appear to be more World War II-era debris at the U.S. Coast Guard Yard base in Curtis Bay that was previously designated a Superfund site because of contaminants in the soil.

The Coast Guard, in seeking public comment on a review of the environmental impacts related to building the National Coast Guard Museum on the downtown waterfront, has released the museum's newest design.

Democratic lawmakers, worried about growing Russian and Chinese competition in the Arctic, have criticized Homeland Security’s decision to free up money for a U.S.-Mexico border wall by reallocating $750 million that had been earmarked for a polar icebreaker.

Guests were also taken through the station’s galley, where on-duty Coast Guard members eat meals and spend much of their time, and out into the boatyard, where they were given a close look at some of the lifesaving vessels.

A German U-boat had torpedoed the Mirlo, a British tanker loaded with gasoline, seven miles from shore. The British had been transporting badly needed fuel from the United States for the forces in Europe during World War I.

Lt. Peter Lewia took on the role of commanding officer of Coast Guard Cutter Richard Snyder during a change of command ceremony held Thursday morning at Fort Macon State Park. He takes the helm from Lt. Andrew Norberg.

The U.S. Senate passed its annual defense authorization bill Wednesday, directing more than $250 million in military spending to Alaska and directing the Navy to procure a new Arctic icebreaker.

A body has been found inside the semi truck that went off the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, and officials believe a second person might have died as a result of the crash.

Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula has been awarded several contracts to build ships for the U.S. military and is looking for skilled people to work on those ships.

As a military band played and flags snapped in the breeze, 24 crew members and Coast Guard brass stood at attention Wednesday morning during the commissioning of a ship named after the first Coast Guardsman killed in action since the Vietnam War.

Capt. Andrew Tucci was being investigated for abusive sexual contact, a violation of the Uniform Code of Military Justice. The Coast Guard's investigation indicated there was "permanent relief for cause," and Tucci retired.

The Maritime Coordination Center is charged with aiding dozens of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies in a joint effort to keep the waters off California safe from smugglers and other criminals.

Lava Ocean Tours, the lava boat operator whose 23 passengers were injured Monday morning by lava bombs, had a prior history of passenger lawsuits and had been previously fined by the state for lava tour boat violations.

The drugs, worth nearly $260 million wholesale, were seized from four suspected smuggling vessels.

Hawaii tour boat operators plan to continue taking visitors to see lava, but will follow the Coast Guard's revised policy and stay farther away after an explosion caused molten rock to barrel through the roof of a vessel, injuring 23 people.

Pilot Mike Hudgins is a retired U.S. Navy pilot who also flew for Hawaiian Airlines and Japan Airlines before joining Taquan five or six years ago. He was flying a Taquan Air de Havilland Otter from Steamboat Bay to Ketchikan when the plane crashed.

Scientists on board the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Healy believe they have discovered the cause behind a major climatic event that occurred 13,000 years ago.

A U.S. Coast Guard lifeboat was returning from a search-and-rescue mission when its four-man crew spotted a large light-colored shark crossing the boat’s bow.

Lt. Cmdr. Jessica Shafer is one of four active-duty female "surfman" in the Coast Guard. It's one of the highest qualifications reserved for members who search and rescue in dangerous conditions.

Nearly all 50 states are represented among the Coast Guard Academy's Class of 2022, which started its military training on Monday — one of the hottest days of the year.

One hundred and two years ago, U.S. Coast Guard Boatman John Munz made history by becoming the first member of the Coast Guard to lose his life during a search and rescue.

The 11 international students hail from Belize, Cambodia, Iceland, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Madagascar, Mexico, Palau, Panama, Rwanda and Ukraine and will attend as a part of the academy's international cadet program.

A large metal tank that recently washed up on Hilton Head Island's Burkes Beach is drawing the attention of beachgoers and the Coast Guard, which sent a team Thursday to determine whether it is hazardous.

A plaque unveiled Wednesday at the overlook of the Falls of the Ohio State Park recounts the seventh member of the Coast Guard to die while on duty, but the first to lose his life in an active search and rescue.

Ahead of its annual summer research deployment to the Arctic, U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Healy is stopping over in San Diego to pick up supplies and give the public a window inside the ice-breaking operations of the branch’s largest ship.

Most of the funding would go to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, which also is part of Homeland Security. The department has the authority to move money around between its components, and may also shift other funding to pay for ICE operations.

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The U.S. Coast Guard recently deployed from Alaska to northeast Japan as part of a multinational effort to help curb illegal fishing.

Taxpayers have paid nearly $20 million for extra Coast Guard patrols that protected President Donald Trump by land and sea during 16 winter and spring trips to West Palm Beach since his inauguration, according to new records obtained by USA TODAY.

The beacon atop the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse is decades old and needs constant repair. The light went dark twice this year after aging components broke down. The Coast Guard is considering changing the bulb to the latest technology available – an LED light.

Connecticut lawmakers, joined by some of their colleagues in Congress, are asking the head of the Coast Guard how the service plans to address "racial disparities" at the Coast Guard Academy.

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After seeing too many tragedies — they’ve spotted people in the river who were already dead — Randy Kohl and the crew said it was meaningful to be able to save someone, though they weren’t expecting to be honored by the Coast Guard and Ramsey County sheriff’s office.

Robert J. Birrane Jr., a decorated Vietnam veteran who rose to become a senior Coast Guard Auxiliary officer, died May 30. “Bob emerged from his experience in Vietnam with a Bronze Star for heroism in combat," said Art Pine, a former reporter.

President Donald Trump on Wednesday thanked the Coast Guard for helping save thousands during Hurricane Harvey last year, but he also made a claim that took many Texas leaders and first responders by surprise.

At a change of command ceremony on Friday, President Donald Trump said America is safe because the U.S. Coast Guard is strong. Trump called the Coast Guard the "elite force" that defends borders, patrols the waters, protects U.S. cities and keeps enemies at bay.

A bill authorizing funding for the Coast Guard includes a provision that would enable the service to pay for design and engineering work for the National Coast Guard Museum planned in downtown New London, Connecticut.

Capt. Kevin Lopes was removed as the head of the Coast Guard Academy management department "due to a loss of confidence in his ability to effectively lead the department," a spokesman said. But he's still teaching at the academy.

A U.S. Coast Guard crew offloaded on Tuesday more than $78 million worth of cocaine in San Diego, just a portion of the drugs seized during patrols off the coast of Central America this month, an official said.

Coast Guard Capt. Martha J. LaGuardia's career ended earlier this month where it began 33 years ago, at Coast Guard Station Destin, Fla.

Bruce Melnick and Daniel Burbank are the only two Coast Guard members to become NASA astronauts.

Rear Adm. Francis Pelkowski served as the Coast Guard’s deputy commandant for operations and as senior reserve officer. He oversaw the readiness of 7,000 reservists who respond to emergencies in the U.S. and abroad.

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In its 27th year, Norfolk's annual Marine Firefighting School's five-day course brings together more than 100 students from regions as close as Norfolk and as far-flung as Singapore to better equip them to handle the unique dangers of ship borne firefighting.

The U.S. Coast Guard has ended the search for a crew member of the MSC Seaside who fell overboard early Wednesday. The crewmember went overboard from the seventh deck of the Maltese-flagged cruise ship at around 1 a.m. Wednesday.

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Coast Guard K9s, outfitted with a harness, goggles and ear protectors, are raised and lowered from a California Highway Patrol helicopter from a runway with their handlers.

The Coast Guard removed buoys last March in Little Egg Inlet between Long Beach Island and Brigantine Island and advised boaters that they traversed the inlet at their own risk due to shallow depths create by the shoaling.

The Frying Pan Tower, a former Coast Guard light station built 34 miles off North Carolina's coast, is being put up for auction by the Charlotte man who turned it into the world's strangest bed and breakfast.

The Air Force Research Laboratory has reached a first-ever agreement with the Coast Guard to work on a wide range of technologies, from future development of drones to artificial intelligence, officials said.

The agency says the new vessels are capable of deploying independently to conduct missions that include coastal security, fishery patrols, search and rescue and national defense.

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The Coast Guard assisted seven boaters after their vessel began taking on water west of La Jolla on Friday morning.

He commands U.S. Coast Guard forces from the shores of East Africa to the Rocky Mountains, rescuing mariners at sea, enforcing fishing laws, interdicting smugglers and protecting America’s ports, and Vice Adm. Fred M. Midgette says his Coasties need more money.

A volunteer flotilla of pleasure boats, fishing boats and personal watercraft joined a U.S. Army Chinook, a Hawaii Air National Guard Black Hawk and two Kauai County Fire Department helicopters ferrying stranded campers, hikers, tourists and residents out of the tiny, storm-isolated community of Haena on Kauai.

Ingalls Shipbuilding has been awarded a $94 million fixed-price contract to purchase materials in advance of construction of a new National Security Cutter for the U.S. Coast Guard.

The Coast Guard rescued three people in a boat on the Columbia River that was taking on water near the Port of Vancouver early Saturday evening.

The cutter Sherman, the Coast Guard’s last active warship to have sunk an enemy vessel in combat, was decommissioned in Honolulu on Thursday.

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The plus-sized pooch — named George Jefferson — travels in a carrier that weighs an additional 100 pounds to his 221-pound frame. After United Airlines’ recent decision to suspend its pet travel program, George's owner is left with few choices to bring her furry friend home.

The Coast Guard Cutter Bertholf's crew also seized what’s known as a low-profile go-fast vessel — a type of boat designed to avoid detection while on the water — and three fishing vessels that were allegedly carrying narcotics during the patrol.

After 12 hours of searching across 112 square miles near Cape Henry, Virginia, the U.S. Coast Guard has suspended its search for a 33-year-old crewman from the cargo ship Lara Venture.

Pending confirmation, Vice Adm. Karl L. Schultz is expected to relieve Adm. Paul Zukunft in a change-of-command ceremony scheduled for June 1 in Washington, D.C.

The Paddle Craft Risk Cold Water Danger system unveiled by Coast Guard Sector Hampton Roads and the National Weather Service Wakefield will warn paddle sports enthusiasts of certain hazards. It mirrors a system in place in Maine.

The finished monument will include the sculpture in the center of a circular brick paver pad. Two stone walls will stand at the pad's north and south edges, one with stainless steel letters spelling "COAST GUARD CITY."

Hurricane-force winds caused a private dock to collapse Monday morning and up to 3,000 gallons of oil dumped into the water. High winds and seas kept pollution responders in boats from getting to the spill Wednesday.

Hurricane-force winds near Kodiak caused a dock to collapse on Monday morning, releasing up to 3,000 gallons of fuel into critical marine habitat, officials said.