Coast Guard commander fired over border lapses, DEI focus: source

EXCLUSIVE: The commandant of the US Coast Guard has been terminated due to concerns about the border, recruiting and an “erosion of trust,” a senior DHS official confirmed to Fox News.

Adm. Linda Lee Fagan, 61, has been terminated by Acting Homeland Security Secretary Benjamine Huffman, the official said.

Fagan has demonstrated leadership deficiencies, operational failures, and an inability to advance the Coast Guard’s strategic goals.

These include failure to address border security threats, inadequate leadership in recruitment and retention, poor management in the acquisition of key acquisitions such as icebreakers and helicopters, excessive focus on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and an “erosion of trust” over mishandling and covering up of Operation Fouled Anchor, which was the Coast Guard’s internal investigation into cases of sexual assault at the Coast Guard Academy.

RETIRED COAST GUARD HELICOPTER COMMAND DISCLAIMER RISK TO AIRCRAFT FEEDING LA FIRES

Adm. Linda Fagan. (U.S. Coast Guard)

Fagan is accused of ineffectively deploying Coast Guard assets to support national border security, including in intercepting fentanyl and other illegal drugs. She also had insufficient coordination with DHS to prioritize operations along maritime borders.

The DHS official said Fagan made significant mistakes in recruiting personnel, which exacerbated problems related to operational readiness. The official added that the lack of innovative strategies to address retention struggles in critical specialties weakened the sustainability of the workforce.

Under her leadership, there were also persistent delays and cost overruns in the acquisition of essential platforms, including icebreakers and helicopters, which the official said undermined the Coast Guard’s capabilities in the Arctic and other strategic regions. The official also cited insufficient accountability for procurement mistakes highlighted during President Trump’s first administration.

Fagan also made DEI policies a priority, including at the Coast Guard Academy, which diverted resources and focus from operational essentials.

6 SUSPECTS ALLEGEDLY INVOLVED IN DEADLY PEOPLE STUFFING INCIDENTS OVER PAST WEEK, COAST GUARD SAYS

Adm. Linda Fagan attends the US Coast Guard (USCG) Change of Command Ceremony at USCG Headquarters in Washington, DC on June 1, 2022. (Getty Images)

In Operation Fouled Anchor, the cover-up of sexual abuse at the US Coast Guard Academy “deeply eroded trust” in the Coast Guard among the US public, the US Congress and the military. The Coast Guard did not disclose the existence of Operation Fouled Anchor until 2023, despite its existence from 2014 to 2019.

Fagan was grilled by senators over the summer when she testified at a hearing on Capitol Hill, where she was questioned about not holding anyone accountable for the cover-up and withholding additional documents requested by congressional lawmakers about the service’s mishandling of the problem. academy.

The official said the failure to adequately address the systemic problems uncovered by the investigation has highlighted a “leadership culture” unwilling to ensure accountability and transparency in protecting service members.

Adm. Linda Fagan speaks during a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Subcommittee hearing on investigations on Capitol Hill on June 11, 2024 in Washington, DC (Getty Images)

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Fagan served as the 27th Commandant of the Coast Guard beginning June 1, 2022. She was tasked with overseeing all global Coast Guard operations and 42,000 active, 7,000 reserve, and 8,700 civilian personnel, as well as support from 21,000 Coast Guard Auxiliary volunteers.

She was the first woman to lead the Coast Guard or any branch of the US military.