Today, the United States Coast Guard carries out three basic roles, which are further subdivided into eleven statutory missions. The three roles are Maritime safety, Maritime security, and Maritime stewardship. The Coast Guard has eleven statutory missions, defined by law, that are divided into homeland security missions and non-homeland security (or legacy) missions. The Coast Guard's legacy missions include: Marine safety, search and rescue, aids to navigation, living marine resources (fisheries law enforcement), marine environmental protection, and ice operations. The Coast Guard's Homeland security missions include: Ports, waterways, and coastal security (PWCS); drug interdiction; migrant interdiction; defense readiness; and other law enforcement.
