SAIPAN — U.S. Coast Guard Forces Micronesia’s Sector Boarding Team joined the CNMI Department of Public Safety, Customs, Biosecurity and local agency partners last week for five days of joint maritime operations in and around Saipan.
The operations included six security boardings and a first-ever joint patrol of the Port of Saipan. Officials said the exercise was aimed at deepening interagency coordination and building shared maritime awareness among the agencies that operate in CNMI waters.
Lieutenant Junior Grade Thomas Forames-Su, supervisor of the Sector Boarding Team, said the Marianas’ location in the Western Pacific makes persistent presence and partnership essential.
“The Marianas sit at the center of Western Pacific maritime activity: commercial traffic, fishing, small vessels moving between islands,” Forames-Su said. “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.”
The joint operations reflect an ongoing effort by Coast Guard Forces Micronesia to maintain a visible and coordinated presence across the region’s waterways.
Photos courtesy United States Coast Guard
