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Why longtime Trump ally and former Republican Gov. Paul LePage is aiming for a political comeback

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LEWISTON, MAINE – EXCLUSIVE – Former two-term Gov. Paul LePage of Maine says President Donald Trump is a major reason why he’s coming out of political retirement at age 76 – and he’s eyeing a campaign comeback.

«I never, ever had any aspirations to go to Washington until now,» LePage said this week in his first national interview after launching his bid for the House in Maine’s Second Congressional District, which is a top swing seat the GOP aims to flip in the 2026 midterm elections.

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The contest will likely be one of the most closely watched House races in the country next year as the Republicans aim to hold their fragile majority in the chamber.

«Donald Trump, I think, is doing what is necessary in addressing the debt this country is facing. And I think that’s a big, big thing for me,» LePage said as he was interviewed in the Maine city where he was born and raised.

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Former Republican Gov. Paul LePage, who is running for the House in 2026 in Maine’s 2nd Congressional District, speaks with Fox News Digital in Lewiston, Maine, on May 7, 2025, in his first interview after announcing his candidacy.  (Fox News – Paul Steinhauser)

LePage highlighted, «I have a friend in the White House right now. I know President Trump. I think I can have an audience of President Trump. I know several of his secretaries very well. And so I think this is a good time. It’s a good time for me to go help.»

LePage – the brash and blunt politician who won over blue-collar workers struggling with economic woes, which helped the Republican businessman win election and re-election in the blue-leaning state – was one of the first major GOP elected officials to endorse Trump when the president first ran for the White House nearly a decade ago.

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«I was Donald Trump before Donald Trump became popular,» LePage joked at the time, in a line that’s since become famous.

The conservative governor, who grabbed national attention with controversial comments made during his tenure, briefly moved with his wife, Ann, to Florida after finishing his second term in 2019.

«I am done with politics. I have done my eight years. It’s time for somebody else,» he said at the time.

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But LePage re-established residency in Maine five years ago and challenged his successor as governor, Democratic Gov. Janet Mills, in the 2022 election.

LePage ended up losing his bid for a third term by 13 points to Mills, but he did carry the 2nd Congressional District in that race.

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Moderate Democratic Rep. Jared Golden, a U.S. Marine veteran who deployed to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and who often bucks his own party in Congress, has held the seat since first winning it in 2018.

Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine, at a news conference in the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, March 6, 2024, has represented Maine's 2nd Congressional District since first winning the seat in 2018.

Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine, at a news conference in the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, March 6, 2024, has represented Maine’s 2nd Congressional District since first winning the seat in 2018. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc. via Getty Images)

But Golden won re-election by a razor-thin margin last year in the district, which is the second-most rural in the U.S. and the largest east of the Mississippi River.

And Trump, who carried the district in the 2016, 2020 and 2024 presidential elections by nine, seven and 10 points, earned an electoral vote each time, as Maine and Nebraska, are the only two states in the union to allocate their electoral votes partially by congressional district.

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Golden, in a statement after LePage announced his candidacy, said, «I thought Paul was doing his best work in retirement.»

But the 42-year-old Golden has yet to announce whether he’ll seek re-election next year or instead run for either the state’s Senate seat or the open governor’s office.

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In his Fox News interview, LePage reiterated that the nation’s debt is a top motivation for him to return to politics. As of May 8, the national debt was $36,212,886,111,158.26, according to Fox News’ National Debt Tracker. 

«It’s the spending and the debt that this country has, and I’m worried about my grandchildren, great-grandchildren. And I think we have a president now that’s really willing to tackle it, and I’m willing to help,» he said.

But LePage added that «the other thing that is really big is what’s happening in our country with the woke environment. I think I want to be there to help clean that up if we can. Having boys play in girls’ sports is really sad.»

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He also highlighted his Tuesday meeting—part of a three-day swing through the congressional district—with Maine student Cassidy Carlisle, whom he described as «the courageous young woman fighting unfair male competition in girls’ sports.»

Maine’s 2nd Congressional District shares a long border with Canada.

When asked if he’ll be spotlighting border security and immigration as major issues in his campaign, Lepage said, «Big time.»

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But the controversial tariffs the president placed on nations across the globe last month has strained relations with Canada.

Former Maine Gov. Paul LePage, who's running a Republican campaign for Congress in 2026, speaks to a voter at a gun shop and indoor firing range, on May 7, 2025, in Poland, Maine.

Former Maine Gov. Paul LePage, who’s running a Republican campaign for Congress in 2026, speaks to a voter at a gun shop and indoor firing range, on May 7, 2025, in Poland, Maine. (Fox News – Paul Steinhauser)

«I’m all for the tariffs,» LePage said. «The tariffs will fix our international trade and lower taxes.»

LePage acknowledged: «Is it going to hurt in the short term? Yeah, it’s going to hurt a little bit in the short term, but I think it’s necessary.»

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And he predicted that «the tariffs are going to be a short-term problem. I think they’re going to settle out.»

LePage spoke with Fox News at Lewiston’s Franco Center, a performing arts center and historic site of Franco-American culture located in a former Gothic church built in 1907 for French Canadian immigrants in Maine, which is located alongside the city’s historical mills and canals. 

Former Maine Gov. Paul LePage, who's running a 2026 Republican campaign for Congress, tours the Franco Center, a performing arts center and historic site of Franco-American culture located in a former Gothic church in the city of Lewiston, on May 7, 2025. Lepage was baptized as a child in the church.

Former Maine Gov. Paul LePage, who’s running a 2026 Republican campaign for Congress, tours the Franco Center, a performing arts center and historic site of Franco-American culture located in a former Gothic church in the city of Lewiston, on May 7, 2025. Lepage was baptized as a child in the church. (Fox News – Paul Steinhauser)

The former governor, who survived a troubling and often brutal upbringing, gave Fox News a tour of the many dwellings within blocks of the Franco Center, where he spent his childhood.

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The eldest son of 18 children, LePage grew up speaking French in an impoverished home with an alcoholic and abusive father who was a mill worker.

At age 11, he ran away from home after his father beat him and broke his nose. He lived on the streets of Lewiston and often crashed on friends’ couches for a couple of years before earning a living shining shoes, washing dishes at a restaurant, and haling boxes for a local truck driver. 

«I had a very, very, rough upbringing as a youth. We were in welfare, we were in poverty,» he said.

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Former Maine Gov. Paul LePage points in the location of a building where he lived during his childhood, in Lewiston, Maine, on May 7, 2025.

Former Maine Gov. Paul LePage points in the location of a building where he lived during his childhood, in Lewiston, Maine, on May 7, 2025. (Fox News – Paul Steinhauser)

LePage, speaking in the church where he was baptized and sought refuge during his family troubles, told Fox News, «It feels good coming in this building. This was a special building. A couple of nuns and priests were really helpful in my upbringing.»

He went on to graduate from high school, and with financial help from friends, attended and graduated from college.

He later enjoyed success as a businessman, including greatly expanding Marden’s Surplus and Salvage, a Maine-based discount store chain.

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Years later, he ventured into politics, winning election to the Waterville city council and later serving as the city’s mayor before winning statewide office in 2010.

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The former governor says his rough childhood has influenced his political life in a way that not many other politicians can understand.

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And he lamented, «Unfortunately, the mentality in the current society is not to help people get out of poverty, but it’s to keep them in poverty.»

«I want to help get them out of poverty,» he said. «I think there are so many programs that we can institute that will elevate people in poverty, rather than keep them.»

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Cuáles son las joyas que fueron robadas en el Louvre y qué puede pasar con ellas, según expertos

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Fueron ocho minutos de un robo tan audaz como descarado: el reloj marcaba las 09:30 del domingo cuando, bajo las ventanas del museo del Louvre, cuatro ladrones instalaron un montacargas. A las 09:38, se marchaban de allí con las joyas “de la Corona”, un tesoro histórico “inestimable”, tras romper las vidrieras que las protegían con una amoladora.

Cuáles son las joyas de la Corona que se llevaron del Louvre

Ahora más de sesenta investigadores buscan a los autores de este robo que, con los rostros cubiertos, robaron nueve piezas del siglo XIX, entre ellas la corona de la emperatriz Eugenia, esposa de Napoleón III, que luego abandonaron durante su huida.

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La joya, que lleva ocho águilas de oro, 1354 diamantes, 1136 diamantes de talla rosa y 56 esmeraldas resultó “dañada”, según informó la fiscal de París, Laure Beccuau.

La corona de la emperatriz Eugenia, que fue abandonada por los ladrones. (Foto: AFP/Stéphane de Sakutin).

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Las otras piezas que fueron robadas atravesaron dos siglos de historia y fueron propiedad de importantes soberanas y emperatrices de Francia.

La tiara de perlas de Eugenia fue realizada por el famoso joyero Alexandre-Gabriel Lemonnier poco después de la boda de la emperatriz de origen español con Napoleón III, en 1853, al igual que su corona. Lleva 2000 diamantes y más de 200 perlas.

La tiara de la emperatriz Eugenia. (Foto: RMN-GP/S. Maréchalle)

La tiara de la emperatriz Eugenia. (Foto: RMN-GP/S. Maréchalle)

“Esta diadema es la que llevaba casi todos los días en la corte y la que aparece en sus retratos oficiales. Le tenía mucho cariño”, explicó a la agencia de noticias AFP Pierre Branda, historiador y director científico de la Fundación Napoleón.

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El broche de la emperatriz Eugenia que fue robado en el Louvre. (Foto: gentileza RMN-GP/S. Maréchalle).

El broche de la emperatriz Eugenia que fue robado en el Louvre. (Foto: gentileza RMN-GP/S. Maréchalle).

También fueron robados un lazo decorativo de corset y un broche de la emperatriz conocido como “relicario”, que se compone de 94 diamantes, entre los que destaca una roseta de siete diamantes alrededor de un solitario central, con dos diamantes en forma de corazón legados por el cardenal Mazarin a Luis XIV.

El Gran Lazo del Corsete de la Emperatriz Eugenia. (Foto: gentileza RMN-GP/S. Maréchalle).

El Gran Lazo del Corsete de la Emperatriz Eugenia. (Foto: gentileza RMN-GP/S. Maréchalle).

Además, los delincuentes se llevaron un collar y pendientes de zafiros usados por la reina María Amelia (esposa de Luis Felipe I, rey de Francia de 1830 a 1848) y por la reina Hortensia (madre de Napoleón III).

El collar y los pendientes del ajuar de zafiros de la reina María Amelia y la reina Hortensia (Foto: gentileza RMN-GP/S. Maréchalle).

El collar y los pendientes del ajuar de zafiros de la reina María Amelia y la reina Hortensia (Foto: gentileza RMN-GP/S. Maréchalle).

Según Vincent Meylan, historiador especializado en joyería, la reina Hortensia heredó este conjunto de su madre, la emperatriz Josefina, primera esposa de Napoleón I. Algunos especialistas afirman también que podría proceder de la reina María Antonieta.

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Leé también: Encontraron una de las joyas que robaron en el Louvre: el museo sigue cerrado y buscan a los sospechosos

Realmente forma parte de la historia de Francia”, insiste Meylan.

Además, se llevaron un collar y pendientes de esmeraldas que fueron un regalo de boda de Napoleón I a su segunda esposa, la emperatriz María Luisa, realizados por su joyero oficial, François-Régnault Nitot.

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El collar y los pendientes de esmeraldas de la reina Marie-Louise. (Foto: AFP/Stéphane de Sakutin).

El collar y los pendientes de esmeraldas de la reina Marie-Louise. (Foto: AFP/Stéphane de Sakutin).

Además de sus prestigiosos dueños, estas joyas tenían todo el derecho a estar en el museo, ya que son “obras artísticas excepcionales”, opinó Didier Rykner, director de la redacción de la página web La Tribune de l’Art.

Realizadas por los grandes joyeros de la época, como Nitot, Lemonnier o Paul-Alfred Bapst, estas joyas combinan diamantes, perlas y piedras preciosas para crear composiciones espectaculares. El collar de zafiros está compuesto por ocho piedras preciosas de color azul noche y 631 diamantes, y el collar de esmeraldas tiene 32 esmeraldas y 1138 diamantes, según indica el Louvre en su página web.

A pesar de su antigüedad, la mayoría de estas joyas llegaron al Louvre en las últimas décadas.

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Collar de esmeraldas de la reina Marie-Louise (Foto: gentileza RMN-GP/J.-G. Berizzi).

Collar de esmeraldas de la reina Marie-Louise (Foto: gentileza RMN-GP/J.-G. Berizzi).

De las ocho piezas robadas, siete se adquirieron desde 1985, incluidas dos que se vendieron en la subasta de las joyas de la corona de 1887.

El conjunto de esmeraldas se adquirió en 2004 gracias al fondo del Patrimonio y a la Sociedad de Amigos del Louvre.

El collar de zafiros de María Amelia se adquirió en 1985, y la diadema de la emperatriz Eugenia y su gran broche pasaron a ser propiedad del museo en 1992 y 2008.

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Un tesoro “invendible” en su estado

Son joyas de un “valor patrimonial inestimable”, según el Ministerio de Cultura. “Son inestimables desde el punto de vista patrimonial. Sin embargo, su precio es perfectamente estimable”, advierte Rykner.

“El término adecuado es invendible”, precisó Meylan. De hecho, revender estas joyas catalogadas y perfectamente identificadas en su estado actual es imposible, precisó.

Dos jóvenes se toman una selfie frente a la ventana por la que ingresaron los ladrones al Louvre. (Foto: REUTERS/Benoit Tessier).

Dos jóvenes se toman una selfie frente a la ventana por la que ingresaron los ladrones al Louvre. (Foto: REUTERS/Benoit Tessier).

En este contexto, los expertos alertan sobre el riesgo de despiece de estas obras históricas, cuyas piedras y perlas podrían ser desmontadas y reutilizadas para fabricar otras joyas.

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“Si no se recuperan estas joyas muy pronto, desaparecerán, seguro”, insistió Meylan.

“La policía sabe que en las próximas 24 o 48 horas, si no atrapan a estos ladrones, esas piezas probablemente desaparecerán”, declaró a la BBC Chris Marinello, director ejecutivo de Art Recovery Internationalmedio. “Puede que atrapen a los delincuentes, pero no recuperarán las joyas”.

El Louvre permanece cerrado tras el robo. (Foto: REUTERS/Benoit Tessier).

El Louvre permanece cerrado tras el robo. (Foto: REUTERS/Benoit Tessier).

Marinello dijo que los ladrones probablemente romperán las piezas, fundirán cualquier metal valioso y tallarán de nuevo las piedras preciosas, ocultando así la evidencia del crimen. Señaló además que sería difícil vender las joyas si se conservan intactas

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“Ahí es donde el tesoro se vuelve inestimable. Corremos el riesgo de perder fragmentos de la historia de Francia”, coincidió Pierre Branda.

Louvre, Francia, París, Robo, Joyas

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Trump pick for religious freedom envoy visits Holy Land, cites strong US-Israel bond

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On his visit to Israel this week, Ambassador-Designate for International Religious Freedom Mark Walker said meeting families of hostages and survivors of Hamas captivity left him «overwhelmed,» reaffirming what he called the «spiritual and historic bond» between the United States and Israel.

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Walker, a former Republican congressman and Baptist pastor from North Carolina, was nominated by President Donald Trump to serve as the nation’s top global envoy for religious liberty. He will officially assume the post once confirmed by the Senate, becoming the seventh American to hold the role since it was created by Congress in 1998.

His visit to Israel, he explained, was driven by both friendship and timing. «All these other historic landmark agreements are happening the same week we’re here,» Walker said. «It’s been amazing to see the excitement — literally banners hanging from buildings and parks thanking President Trump for his ongoing efforts and the strength he’s shown to drive the region toward peace

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Ambassador-Designate Mark Walker, center, visits the Western Wall in Jerusalem, Israel, in October 2025. (Warren Cohn)

Walker said he was particularly moved by his meetings with hostage families.

«I was overwhelmed to spend some time with Keith Siegel, who endured 483 days of captivity and torture, and with Ruby Chen, whose son, Itay, was killed by Hamas — his body still not returned,» Walker said. «To hear the passion in Ruby’s voice, to see his perseverance, it’s overwhelming. In America, we’re watching this from a distance. But being here on the ground, seeing how the community has banded together to stand up for these hostages — alive or dead — has impacted me in a different manner.»

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The experience, he said, deepened his appreciation for Israel’s resilience. «The people of Israel have stood resiliently in the face of evil,» he said. «Their faith and courage remind the world what strength looks like.»

With U.S. officials visiting Israel to monitor the fragile ceasefire, Walker said he remains confident in the administration’s leadership.

Mark Walker meets former hostage Mark Walker, and Ruby Chen.

Ambassador-Designate Mark Walker for religious freedom with freed hostage Keith Siegel and Rubi Chen, father of hostage Itay Chen. (Warren Cohn)

ISRAEL IDENTIFIES 2 HOSTAGES RETURNED FROM GAZA AS RESIDENTS OF SAME KIBBUTZ

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«I have no confidence in Hamas based on their history,» he said. «But I have great confidence in President Trump and what he’s doing. He’s committed to peace and showing it with his actions — sending Vice President Vance, Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff here this week.»

He also praised Secretary of State Marco Rubio for advancing the administration’s diplomatic agenda. «This isn’t a photo opportunity,» Walker said. «It’s a real plan for long-term stability.»

When asked how he views Israel’s importance, Walker reflected on his years in Congress.

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«I think historically, we’ve had a long-standing relationship of supporting each other through times of peril as well as times of success,» he said. «Certainly, military and business relationships, but from a spiritual standpoint, America was founded on Judeo-Christian principles.»

He added, «When you sit in the House chamber where President Trump gives the State of the Union, there are 22 or 23 philosophers — great men of genius — depicted above. But there’s only one historical figure looking directly at the speaker’s rostrum, and that’s Moses. That tells you a lot about the spiritual connection that binds our two countries.»

Trump sitting and listening as Netanyahu speaks at the Knesset

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses the Knesset as President Donald Trump and Amir Ohana, speaker of the Israeli Knesset, look on at the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, Monday, Oct. 13, 2025 in Jerusalem.  (Chip Somodevilla/Pool via AP)

When asked about criticism from some within the evangelical community regarding its close alignment with Israel, Walker said he welcomes open discussion but rejects efforts to undermine the partnership. «I don’t have a problem with anyone questioning — we ought to be able to defend those relationships,» he said. «But when you see some of the talk lately that aims to degrade that relationship, maybe for personal gain or attention, I do have a problem with it, and I think it needs to be condemned.»

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He added that such views are far from mainstream. «The evangelical communities that I’m part of — and I happen to be a member of the largest Protestant organization in the United States — don’t have those issues,» he said. «There may be some who are loosely affiliated and use that kind of rhetoric, but the overwhelming majority of evangelicals in America applaud and encourage the relationship we have with Israel.»

Attendees at the Christians United for Israel conference in Virginia.

Attendees wave Israel and the United States flags at the Christians United for Israel (CUFI) summit on July 17, 2023 in Arlington, Virginia. GOP presidential hopefuls for 2024 are making their cases before the pro-Israeli group.  (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

On his new role, Walker said the mission was deeply personal.

«When President Trump reached out and asked us to serve as the ambassador for International Religious Freedom — that’s a global position — it was humbling,» he said. «The responsibility is to advocate for people of all faiths, especially in places where they’re persecuted or punished by blasphemy laws.»

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EVANGELICAL LEADERS PRAISE TRUMP’S CONTINUED SUPPORT FOR ISRAEL AMID WAR WITH IRAN

Walker said he is already building relationships with governments and faith leaders to prepare for his official role advising both President Trump and Secretary Rubio.

«Our job is to engage, expose and eradicate atrocities — whether it’s Christians in Nigeria being massacred, Druze in Syria targeted or rising antisemitic behavior worldwide,» he said. «The United States must remain the beacon of hope for religious freedom. We’re the only country that has it written into law.»

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He added that Israel’s example of tolerance stands out in the Middle East. «Christians should be able to live peaceably, share their faith and worship without fear,» he said. «The fact that Israel allows that in a region where so many others don’t is meaningful.»

Trump holding up signed agreement for peace in Gaza.

U.S. President Donald Trump holds the signed agreement of the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, October 13, 2025. (Reuters)

Walker said he plans to «push back wherever persecution exists — whether through diplomacy or by urging governments to repeal blasphemy and anti-conversion laws.»

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He concluded, «President Trump is the only president in American history who called a global conference on religious liberty at the United Nations,» Walker said. «That sent a message across the world — that faith matters, that freedom matters. What we see here in Israel is that same spirit of courage, and it reminds us why this partnership, rooted in faith and freedom, must endure.»



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Coast Guard surges to Rio Grande in new border security mission, Operation River Wall

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The Coast Guard is bolstering its forces along western Texas’ Rio Grande to support President Donald Trump’s border security mission as part of a «surge operation,» according to the service. 

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Trump declared a national emergency at the border in January, and his administration stood up Joint Task Force Southern Border in March to allow troops under the Department of War to assist with the Department of Homeland Security’s border mission. 

Dubbed Operation River Wall, the Coast Guard deployment aims to counter the influx of drugs into the U.S., and to deter and interdict illegal immigrants along the 260-mile stretch of the river that is part of the U.S. border, the service announced Monday. 

The Coast Guard said it is dispatching additional response boats, shallow watercraft, command and control assets, and tactical teams to the area to support the operation. 

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WATCH: COAST GUARD SEIZES COCAINE, SUSPECTED NARCO-TERRORISTS IN PACIFIC VIPER RAID

Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, right, pilots a U.S. Coast Guard response boat-small with the Maritime Security Response Team in San Diego, March 16, 2025. (Alex Brandon/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)

The service said it is leading operations it is conducting alongside U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Department of War under U.S. Northern Command to advance Trump’s border priorities. 

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«U.S. Coast Guard is the best in the world at tactical boat operations and maritime interdiction at sea, along our coasts, and in riverine environments,» Adm. Kevin Lunday, acting commandant of the Coast Guard, said in a Monday statement. «Through Operation River Wall, the Coast Guard is controlling the U.S. southern border along the Rio Grande River in eastern Texas.»

COAST GUARD BURNS, SINKS SUSPECTED ‘DRUG BOAT,’ APPREHENDS 7 ALLEGED DRUG SMUGGLERS: VIDEO

A Coast Guard member seen wrapping bails of illegal drugs on a ship.

A Coast Guard crew member assigned to Coast Guard Cutter Diligence wraps bails of illicit narcotics during a drug offload at Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg, Florida, Sept. 22, 2025. (Petty Officer 1st Class Riley Perkofski/Coast Guard)

It’s unclear exactly how many Coast Guard personnel and assets are involved in Operation River Wall, and the Coast Guard did not provide specifics, citing operational security concerns. 

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«We are deploying a range of assets, personnel, and equipment appropriate to maximize coverage of the Rio Grande River,» Coast Guard spokesperson Lt. Cmdr. Steve Roth said in a Tuesday statement to Fox News Digital. «Due to operational security concerns, we cannot provide specific details about deployment numbers or specific locations.» 

However, the Coast Guard announced in March it was beefing up its operational presence along the southwest border for border security operations. Between January and March, the Coast Guard Southwest District announced it tripled its forces there. 

The Pentagon said in July that roughly 8,500 troops are assigned to Joint Task Force Southern Border to provide backup to the Coast Guard and Border Patrol, and have been tasked with responding to security threats along the border. 

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COAST GUARD OVERHAUL TAKES OFF AMID TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S IMMIGRATION, NARCOTICS CRACKDOWN

Operation Pacific Viper

Coast Guard Cutter Seneca interdicted 5,500 pounds of cocaine northeast of the Galápagos Islands on Sept. 10, 2025, as part of Operation Pacific Viper. (Department of Homeland Security)

The Coast Guard has launched several high-profile operations in recent months. For example, the service kicked off Operation Pacific Viper in August — a joint effort between the Coast Guard and Navy aimed at countering the influx of illegal drugs to the U.S. as part of Trump’s larger effort to crack down on drug cartels.

So far, the Coast Guard has confiscated 100,000 pounds of cocaine in the Eastern Pacific Ocean since August, averaging 1,600 pounds of cocaine daily, according to the service. 

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