US Code

Public Law 119-88 (05/04/2026)

10 U.S.C. § 279

Assignment of Coast Guard personnel to naval vessels for law enforcement purposes

(a)
The Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Homeland Security shall provide that there be assigned on board every appropriate surface naval vessel at sea in a drug-interdiction area members of the Coast Guard who are trained in law enforcement and have powers of the Coast Guard under title 14, including the power to make arrests and to carry out searches and seizures.
(b)
Members of the Coast Guard assigned to duty on board naval vessels under this section shall perform such law enforcement functions (including drug-interdiction functions)—
(1)
as may be agreed upon by the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Homeland Security; and
(2)
as are otherwise within the jurisdiction of the Coast Guard.
(c)
1
1 See References in Text note below.
No fewer than 500 active duty personnel of the Coast Guard shall be assigned each fiscal year to duty under this section. However, if at any time the Secretary of Homeland Security, after consultation with the Secretary of Defense, determines that there are insufficient naval vessels available for purposes of this section, such personnel may be assigned other duty involving enforcement of laws listed in section 374(b)(4)(A)  of this title.
(d)
1 In this section, the term “drug-interdiction area” means an area outside the land area of the United States (as defined in section 374(b)(4)(B)  of this title) in which the Secretary of Defense (in consultation with the Attorney General) determines that activities involving smuggling of drugs into the United States are ongoing.

Pub. L. 99–570, title III, § 3053(b)(1)100 Stat. 3207–75 Pub. L. 100–456, div. A, title XI, § 1104(a)102 Stat. 2045 Pub. L. 107–296, title XVII, § 1704(b)(1)116 Stat. 2314 Pub. L. 114–328, div. A, title XII, § 1241(a)(2)130 Stat. 2497 (Added , , , § 379; amended , , ; , , ; renumbered § 279, , , .)

Editorial Notes

References in Text

Section 374 of this titlesection 274 of this titlePub. L. 114–328, div. A, title XII, § 1241(a)(2)130 Stat. 2497 , referred to in subsecs. (c) and (d), was renumbered by , , .

Prior Provisions

Pub. L. 103–160, div. A, title VIII, § 822(d)(1)107 Stat. 1707 Pub. L. 103–337, div. A, title XVI108 Stat. 2979 section 10212 of this titleA prior section 279, added , , , authorized acceptance of gratuitous services of officers of reserve components, prior to repeal by , §§ 1661(a)(2)(A), 1691, , , 3026, effective . See .

Pub. L. 85–861, § 1(5)(C)72 Stat. 1439 Pub. L. 94–273, § 11(2)90 Stat. 378 Pub. L. 95–485, § 406(b)(1)Another prior section 279, added , , ; amended , , , directed Secretary of Defense to report to President and Congress, in January of each year, on the status of training of each reserve component and the progress made in strengthening the reserve components during the preceding fiscal year, prior to repeal by .

Amendments

Pub. L. 114–328section 379 of this title2016— renumbered as this section.

Pub. L. 107–2962002—Subsecs. (a), (b)(1), (c). substituted “of Homeland Security” for “of Transportation”.

Pub. L. 100–456section 374(b)(4)(B) of this title1988— amended section generally, substituting “every appropriate surface naval vessel” for “appropriate surface naval vessels” in subsec. (a), substituting “section 374(b)(4)(A)” for “section 374(a)(1)” in subsec. (c), and inserting “(as defined in )” in subsec. (d).

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date of 2002 Amendment

Pub. L. 107–296section 1704(g) of Pub. L. 107–296section 101 of this titleAmendment by effective on the date of transfer of the Coast Guard to the Department of Homeland Security, see , set out as a note under .