Inside the Trump administration's overhaul of the Coast Guard amid border security blitz

The Trump administration is overhauling the Coast Guard in an attempt to crack down on illegal migrant crossings and drug interdictions. 

This month, the Coast Guard unveiled its new Force Design 2028 plan to overhaul its organizational structure, personnel, acquisitions, contracting and technology—fulfilling directives from President Donald Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.

The proposal seeks to bolster the Coast Guard’s force, which currently consists of roughly 43,000 active-duty personnel, and assess which specialties need reinforcement to expand training, responding to Trump administration calls to ramp up efforts against illegal immigration and drug smuggling, according to a Department of Homeland Security official familiar with the plan.

"This is focusing our efforts on where do we need to make investments in our current training centers and even look at opening new training centers to support growth in the service," the official told Fox News Digital on Thursday. 

The Coast Guard heightens operations along the Rio Grande in search of illegal crossings and illicit activity. (Sarah Alegre )

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The Coast Guard is the only military service that falls under the jurisdiction of the Department of Homeland Security. However, the blueprint’s restructuring plans seek to adapt certain standards for the Coast Guard to better align with the military branches that fall under the Department of Defense. 

For example, the proposal calls for following the Department of Defense’s standards for physical fitness, body composition, and grooming standards. Unlike other military services, the Coast Guard did not enforce fitness standards unless personnel were attached to boat crews of law enforcement teams. 

However, the Department of Homeland Security is coordinating with the Pentagon to change that. The Coast Guard is still determining whether this initiative will involve an annual fitness test, but the proposal directs the Coast Guard to adhere to Department of Defense physical fitness standards as closely as possible. 

"We've definitely put an increased focus on what are the physical fitness requirements for the Coast Guard to be most successful in its missions for the nation," the official said. 

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem looks out during an aerial tour on a HC-130J from U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak on Monday, March 17, 2025 in Kodiak, Alaska. (Alex Brandon/Pool via REUTERS)

Likewise, the blueprint also calls for organizational changes, including installing a secretary for the service, as well as creating a Coast Guard headquarters director of staff to enhance decision-making and other functions at a high operational level. 

The blueprint aligns with legislation introduced in the Senate that would establish a civilian secretary for the Coast Guard, akin to the structure of the Navy, Army and Air Force. Currently, the Coast Guard only has an active duty commandant that oversees the service. 

Republican Sens. Rick Scott of Florida and Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia introduced the measure on April 1 in an attempt to enhance the Coast Guard’s ability to adapt to its mission. 

"The establishment of a Secretary of the Coast Guard is an important step in ensuring our nation’s maritime security is led with the strength and efficiency it deserves to ensure it can fulfill its mission and adapt to any challenges," Scott said in a statement on April 1. 

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U.S. Senator Rick Scott speaks on Day 2 of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee on July 16, 2024. (REUTERS/Brian Snyder)

Companion legislation is underway in the House, and Republican Rep. Mike Ezell of Mississippi introduced a similar measure on April 3 to "give the Coast Guard the same level of recognition and advocacy that other military branches receive," according to a statement. 

The Coast Guard is already implementing changes included in the force design and is slated to complete the modernization effort in three years. 

"We've been making changes practically daily in the service to really keep moving forward," the official said. "The goal of 2028 is that the transformation of the service will be complete by 2028."

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The plan is already rendering results, according to the official. The service is surpassing drug seizures from last year. So far, the Coast Guard has seized 11% more cocaine in FY25 than it did for all of FY24, according to DHS data. 

Additionally, the service is combating the recruiting problems that have plagued all the military services in recent years, and is already bringing in more guardsmen than last year. The service has brought in more than 4,250 new recruits this fiscal year – 1,200 more than the service did at this same point last year. 

"We are now filling out our training center to max capacity, with reservations already locked in all the way through September," the official said. "So we went from a recruiting deficit to a recruiting surge right now, and we are on track to exceed all recruiting goals for the year."