U.S. Coast Guard

Agency

1. branch of the U.S. Armed Forces and agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with enforcing U.S. maritime laws and ensuring the safety of the nation's ports and waterways. In addition to enforcing federal maritime laws and applicable international agreements, and assisting other federal law enforcement agencies in their work, the Coast Guard performs marine safety-inspection and licensing activities, enforces rules and regulations governing the safe use of U.S. ports and waterways, maintains various aids to navigation (such as lights and buoys), administers statutes governing the construction of certain bridges, carries out drug and migrant interdiction, and performs various other activities (such as search and rescue operations and marine environmental response) in support of its mission.