WILLEMSTAD — Crime-fighting will dominate the Coast Guard’s operational agenda in 2026, with 80 percent of available capacity dedicated to law enforcement tasks, according to its newly published annual plan.
Priority areas include drug trafficking, human smuggling, illegal firearms transport, and terrorism-related activities. These operations are carried out under the authority of the Public Prosecutor’s Offices of the Kingdom countries and are aligned with the Justitial Policy Plan.
The remaining 20 percent of capacity will be used for search and rescue operations, maritime safety, fisheries control, environmental protection, and disaster response. Despite the heavy emphasis on law enforcement, the Coast Guard stresses that it remains the primary search and rescue coordinator across its entire maritime responsibility area.