Coast Guard surges resources to DC and elsewhere to protect July 4 celebrations

Source: ABC News

July 3, 2026, 5:06 AM


The U.S. Coast Guard is surging resources to help secure July Fourth celebrations in Washington, D.C., and around the country, the head of the agency said.

"We've surged over 1,000 additional people, in addition to our regular Coast Guard forces, 79 boats to 13 cities to make sure we are prepared for any contingency, and we can prevent or respond to any threat," Adm. Kevin Lunday, commandant of the Coast Guard told ABC News' Chief Justice Correspondent Pierre Thomas in an interview on the Potomac River.

For the first time, a large swath of the Potomac around the D.C. monuments will be closed to boaters to make way for a larger than normal fireworks display on the Fourth. Securing this Fourth of July is one of the most "complex" missions the Coast Guard has undertaken, Lunday said.

"The Coast Guard remains always ready, always on watch, vigilant for readiness to address any threat and deal with that threat," he said. Though the Coast Guard is responsible for securing the nation's ports and waterways, they also have air assets and counter-drone authority.

Read more: https://abcnews.com/Politics/coast-guard-surges-resources-dc-protect-july-4/story?id=134412875