March 7, 2025, La Fortaleza- San Juan, Puerto Rico – Today, Governor Jenniffer González-Colón of Puerto Rico issued the following statement following the unanimous passage of the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2025 in the United States Senate:

“I applaud the U.S. Senate for unanimously approving the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2025, bipartisan legislation to reauthorize funding for the U.S. Coast Guard’s critical missions and strengthen the Service’s ability to protect our maritime borders, facilitate commerce, safeguard our maritime transportation system, and conduct lifesaving search-and-rescue operations.  I am especially pleased that the legislation includes two provisions I authored while I served in Congress—Sections 133 and 181—and that had been originally incorporated last year by the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee in the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2024.  

“Section 133 would improve transparency by requiring the Coast Guard to publish on its website the number of drug and migrant interdictions carried out by the

Service each month. In the Don Young Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2022, Congress included a provision requiring the publication of monthly migrant interdiction statistics. Section 133 would build on this and expand
the requirement to also include data on drug seizures. It would also require additional information such as the number of migrants interdicted, the amount and type of drugs that are seized, and the geographic location of such interdictions.

“Section 181 would direct the Coast Guard to report on maritime domain awareness gaps in waters around Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands and identify technologies, assets, and capabilities that would help address such gaps.  I authored this language to ensure Congress has the necessary information to support and equip Coast Guard Sector San Juan with appropriate resources to effectively tackle the rise in illicit maritime activity in our region and protect our communities from the threats posed by transnational criminal organizations.

“Lastly, I welcome the inclusion of language in Section 139 of the Coast GuardAuthorization Act of 2025authorizing the Secretary of Homeland Security to procure cutting-edge technology—such as tactical maritime surveillance systems—for use by the Coast Guard and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in the areas of operation of Sector San Diego in California, Sector Key West in Florida, and Sector San Juan in Puerto Rico.  This will ensure our men and women in the Coast Guard and CBP have access to vital tools to detect and interdict drug traffickers and human smugglers before they reach our shores.

“I commend Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz and Ranking Member Maria Cantwell, as well as House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Sam Graves and Ranking Member Rick Larsen, for their leadership and work on this vital legislation to support our U.S. Coast Guard and enhance maritime border security operations in Puerto Rico and across the rest of the nation.  I look forward to the bill’s swift consideration in the House and it being sent to the President’s desk for his signature.”

###

‍