U.S. military service that enforces maritime laws.
It is under the jurisdiction of the Department of Homeland Security; in wartime it functions as part of the U.S. Navy. The Coast Guard enforces federal laws on the high seas and waters within U.S. territorial jurisdiction, develops and operates aids to navigation, and maintains a network of lifeboat and search-and-rescue stations using surface vessels and aircraft. It assists in the interdiction of illegal narcotics bound for the U.S. on or over coastal waters. It operates the International Ice Patrol (which maintains surveillance of icebergs in the North Atlantic shipping lanes), gathers data for the National Weather Service, and assists distressed ships and planes. Its wartime duties include ship escort, port security, and transport duty. In 2000 there were some 35,000 Coast Guard personnel on active duty. Cadets are trained at the Coast Guard Academy in New London, Conn.