To enhance the domestic maritime security capability of the United States, the Secretary shall establish deployable specialized forces of varying capabilities as are needed to safeguard the public and protect vessels, harbors, ports, facilities, and cargo in waters subject to the jurisdiction of the United States from destruction, loss or injury from crime, or sabotage due to terrorist activity, and to respond to such activity in accordance with the transportation security plans developed under section 70103.

(1) In general.— To enhance the domestic maritime security capability of the United States, the Secretary shall establish deployable specialized forces of varying capabilities as are needed to safeguard the public and protect vessels, harbors, ports, facilities, and cargo in waters subject to the jurisdiction of the United States from destruction, loss or injury from crime, or sabotage due to terrorist activity, and to respond to such activity in accordance with the transportation security plans developed under section 70103.

(2) Enhanced teams.— Such specialized forces shall include no less than two enhanced teams to serve as deployable forces capable of combating terrorism, engaging in interdiction, law enforcement, and advanced tactical maritime security operations to address known or potentially armed security threats (including non-compliant actors at sea), and participating in homeland security, homeland defense, and counterterrorism exercises in the maritime environment.

The combined force of the specialized forces established under subsection (a) shall be trained, equipped, and capable of being deployed to—

(1) deter, protect against, and rapidly respond to threats of maritime terrorism;

(2) conduct maritime operations to protect against and disrupt illegal use, access to, or proliferation of weapons of mass destruction;

(3) enforce moving or fixed safety or security zones established pursuant to law;

(4) conduct high speed intercepts;

(5) board, search, and seize any article or thing on or at, respectively, a vessel or facility found to present a risk to the vessel or facility, or to a port;

(6) rapidly deploy to supplement United States armed forces domestically or overseas;

(7) respond to criminal or terrorist acts so as to minimize, insofar as possible, the disruption caused by such acts;

(8) assist with facility vulnerability assessments required under this chapter; and

(9) carry out any other missions of the Coast Guard as are assigned to it by the Secretary.

The enhanced teams established under subsection (a)(2) shall, to the extent practicable, be stationed in such a way so as to minimize the response time to maritime terrorist threats and potential or actual transportation security incidents.

To the maximum extent feasible, the combined force of the specialized forces established under subsection (a) shall coordinate their activities with other Federal, State, and local law enforcement and emergency response agencies.

(Added Pub. L. 107–295, title I, § 102(a), Nov. 25, 2002, 116 Stat. 2074; amended Pub. L. 109–241, title III, § 305, July 11, 2006, 120 Stat. 528; Pub. L. 111–281, title VIII, § 804(a), Oct. 15, 2010, 124 Stat. 2990.)