Coast Guard Investigative Service
Encyclopedia
The Coast Guard Investigative Service (CGIS) is a division of the United States Coast Guard
that investigates crimes where the Coast Guard has an interest. It is composed of civilian
(GS-1811), active duty
, reserve
enlisted, and warrant officer
Special Agents
.
. It is located outside the Coast Guard's operational chain of command.
workforce is composed of active duty military, reserve, and civilian personnel. However, virtually all CGIS investigators, criminal, counterintelligence, and force protection personnel are sworn civilian personnel with powers of arrest and warrant service, with the exception of a small number of reserve military personnel. All CGIS Special Agents have full arrest powers under Title 14 section 95 of the United States Code
.
The active duty military component is composed of Enlisted Personnel and Chief Warrant Officer investigator positions. The civilian component is composed of GS-1811-11 to GS-1811-15 criminal investigator positions.
.
, appeared on the hit television drama NCIS
in an episode titled, "Jurisdiction". Special Agent Borin appeared again in January 2011, in the episode, "Ships in the Night," as CGIS joins the NCIS team in the investigation of the murder of a U.S. Marine Corps officer on a dinner boat cruise on the Potomac River
. The story illustrates CGIS's law enforcement responsibilities along the United States' rivers, coastlines, and inland waterways in supporting Coast Guard and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) maritime law enforcement and counter-terrorism missions worldwide. She returned for a third time in the episode "Safe Harbor".
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
that investigates crimes where the Coast Guard has an interest. It is composed of civilian
Civilian
A civilian under international humanitarian law is a person who is not a member of his or her country's armed forces or other militia. Civilians are distinct from combatants. They are afforded a degree of legal protection from the effects of war and military occupation...
(GS-1811), active duty
Active duty
Active duty refers to a full-time occupation as part of a military force, as opposed to reserve duty.-Pakistan:The Pakistan Armed Forces are one of the largest active service forces in the world with almost 610,000 full time personnel due to the complex and volatile nature of Pakistan's...
, reserve
Military reserve
A military reserve, tactical reserve, or strategic reserve is a group of military personnel or units which are initially not committed to a battle by their commander so that they are available to address unforeseen situations or exploit suddenly developing...
enlisted, and warrant officer
Warrant Officer (United States)
In the United States military, the rank of warrant officer is rated as an officer above the senior-most enlisted ranks, as well as officer cadets and candidates, but below the officer grade of O-1...
Special Agents
Special agent
Special agent is usually the title for a detective or investigator for a state, county, municipal, federal or tribal government. An agent is a worker for any federal agency, and a secret agent is one who works for an intelligence agency....
.
Mission
The mission of the Coast Guard Investigative Service (CGIS) is to conduct professional criminal investigations, engage in law enforcement information and intelligence collection, provide protective services, and establish and maintain law enforcement liaison directed at preserving the integrity of the Coast Guard, protecting the welfare of Coast Guard people, and supporting Coast Guard and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) maritime law enforcement and counter-terrorism missions worldwide.Authority
The Coast Guard Investigative Service is a federal law enforcement agency whose law enforcement authority is derived from . This authority provides for Coast Guard special agents to conduct investigations of actual, alleged or suspected criminal activity; carry firearms; execute and serve warrants; and make arrests. The criminal investigative function of the Coast Guard Investigative Service is similar to that of a major crimes unit at a large metropolitan police department, investigating crimes such as those "internal" to the Coast Guard, including fraud, larceny, homicide and rape, as well as "external" investigations of maritime-related crimes ranging from migrant and drug smuggling, false distress calls, and violations of the environmental laws. The Coast Guard Investigative Service is a centralized directorship managed by a professional criminal investigator who reports directly to the Coast Guard's Assistant Commandant for IntelligenceCoast Guard Intelligence
Coast Guard Intelligence is the military intelligence branch of the United States Coast Guard.The United States Coast Guard is a military, multi-mission, maritime service within the United States Department of Homeland Security and one of the United States's five armed services. Its core roles are...
. It is located outside the Coast Guard's operational chain of command.
Criminal Investigations
- Felony Violations of the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ)Uniform Code of Military JusticeThe Uniform Code of Military Justice , is the foundation of military law in the United States. It is was established by the United States Congress in accordance with the authority given by the United States Constitution in Article I, Section 8, which provides that "The Congress shall have Power . ....
- United States CodeUnited States CodeThe Code of Laws of the United States of America is a compilation and codification of the general and permanent federal laws of the United States...
violations related to or within the Maritime Jurisdiction of the U.S. - Counter-Narcotics and Alien Smuggling Investigations
- Fisheries Violations and Environmental Crimes
- Counter-TerrorismCounter-terrorismCounter-terrorism is the practices, tactics, techniques, and strategies that governments, militaries, police departments and corporations adopt to prevent or in response to terrorist threats and/or acts, both real and imputed.The tactic of terrorism is available to insurgents and governments...
and Force Protection - Investigative assistance to Federal, State and Local Law Enforcement
- Protective Service Operations
Commandant/Vice Commandant of the Coast Guard
- Assistance to U.S. Secret Service Presidential Detail
- Other Foreign and Domestic Dignitaries as Requested
Intelligence Operations
- Human Intelligence (HUMINT) Collection Operations
- Image Intelligence Collection Operations (IMINT)
- Law Enforcement Information Collection
Anti-Fraud, Waste and Abuse
- Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector GeneralDepartment of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General-Purpose:The United States Congress enacted the Inspector General Act of 1978 to ensure integrity and efficiency in government. The Homeland Security Act of 2002, as amended, established an Office of Inspector General in the Department of Homeland Security...
Hotline complaint investigations - TRICARETRICARETRICARE, formerly known as the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Uniformed Services , is a health care program of the United States Department of Defense Military Health System. TRICARE provides civilian health benefits for military personnel, military retirees, and their dependents,...
medical fraud investigations
Task Force & Liaison Activities
- FBIFederal Bureau of InvestigationThe Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF)Joint Terrorism Task ForceA Joint Terrorism Task Force is a partnership between various U.S. law enforcement agencies that is charged with taking action against terrorism, which includes the investigation of crimes such as wire fraud and identity theft... - Organized CrimeOrganized crimeOrganized crime or criminal organizations are transnational, national, or local groupings of highly centralized enterprises run by criminals for the purpose of engaging in illegal activity, most commonly for monetary profit. Some criminal organizations, such as terrorist organizations, are...
Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) - High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force
International Policing
- INTERPOLInterpolInterpol, whose full name is the International Criminal Police Organization – INTERPOL, is an organization facilitating international police cooperation...
- International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP)International Association of Chiefs of PoliceThe International Association of Chiefs of Police was founded in Chicago in 1893 as the National Chiefs of Police Union. The primary goal of this organization was to apprehend and return criminals who had fled the agency jurisdictions in which they were wanted...
CGIS Special Agents
The CGIS special agentSpecial agent
Special agent is usually the title for a detective or investigator for a state, county, municipal, federal or tribal government. An agent is a worker for any federal agency, and a secret agent is one who works for an intelligence agency....
workforce is composed of active duty military, reserve, and civilian personnel. However, virtually all CGIS investigators, criminal, counterintelligence, and force protection personnel are sworn civilian personnel with powers of arrest and warrant service, with the exception of a small number of reserve military personnel. All CGIS Special Agents have full arrest powers under Title 14 section 95 of the United States Code
United States Code
The Code of Laws of the United States of America is a compilation and codification of the general and permanent federal laws of the United States...
.
The active duty military component is composed of Enlisted Personnel and Chief Warrant Officer investigator positions. The civilian component is composed of GS-1811-11 to GS-1811-15 criminal investigator positions.
Firearms
The Coast Guard Investigative Service's standard issue firearm is the SIG Sauer P229R DAK or SIG Sauer P239DAK in .40 S&W.40 S&W
The .40 S&W is a rimless pistol cartridge developed jointly by major American firearms manufacturers Winchester and Smith & Wesson. The .40 S&W was developed from the ground up as a law enforcement cartridge designed to duplicate performance of the FBI's reduced velocity 10mm cartridge which could...
.
Appearance in Popular Culture
In March 2010, the character of Abigail Borin, a fictional CGIS Special Agent portrayed by actress Diane NealDiane Neal
Diane Neal is an American actress widely known for her role as Casey Novak on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.-Biography:...
, appeared on the hit television drama NCIS
NCIS (TV series)
NCIS, formerly known as NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service, is an American police procedural drama television series revolving around a fictional team of special agents from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, which conducts criminal investigations involving the U.S...
in an episode titled, "Jurisdiction". Special Agent Borin appeared again in January 2011, in the episode, "Ships in the Night," as CGIS joins the NCIS team in the investigation of the murder of a U.S. Marine Corps officer on a dinner boat cruise on the Potomac River
Potomac River
The Potomac River flows into the Chesapeake Bay, located along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States. The river is approximately long, with a drainage area of about 14,700 square miles...
. The story illustrates CGIS's law enforcement responsibilities along the United States' rivers, coastlines, and inland waterways in supporting Coast Guard and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) maritime law enforcement and counter-terrorism missions worldwide. She returned for a third time in the episode "Safe Harbor".
See also
Coast Guard
- U.S. Coast Guard IntelligenceCoast Guard IntelligenceCoast Guard Intelligence is the military intelligence branch of the United States Coast Guard.The United States Coast Guard is a military, multi-mission, maritime service within the United States Department of Homeland Security and one of the United States's five armed services. Its core roles are...
- U.S. Coast Guard Legal Division
- Coast Guard Court of Criminal AppealsCoast Guard Court of Criminal AppealsThe Coast Guard Court of Criminal Appeals is the intermediate appellate court for criminal convictions in the U.S. Coast Guard. It is located in Arlington, Virginia....
Federal law enforcement
- Special agentSpecial agentSpecial agent is usually the title for a detective or investigator for a state, county, municipal, federal or tribal government. An agent is a worker for any federal agency, and a secret agent is one who works for an intelligence agency....
- Military policeMilitary policeMilitary police are police organisations connected with, or part of, the military of a state. The word can have different meanings in different countries, and may refer to:...
- Shore PatrolShore patrolShore patrol are service members that are provided to aid in security for the U.S. Navy, United States Coast Guard, United States Marine Corps, and the British Royal Navy while on shore...
- Naval Criminal Investigative ServiceNaval Criminal Investigative ServiceThe United States Naval Criminal Investigative Service is the primary security, counter-intelligence, counter-terrorism, and law enforcement agency of the United States Department of the Navy...
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries Office for Law Enforcement (OLE)National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries Office for Law EnforcementThe National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Office of Law Enforcement is a federal police part of the National Marine Fisheries Service of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, headquartered in Silver Spring, Maryland...
- Diplomatic Security ServiceDiplomatic Security ServiceThe U.S. Diplomatic Security Service is the federal law enforcement arm of the United States Department of State. The majority of its Special Agents are members of the Foreign Service and federal law enforcement agents at the same time, making them unique...
(DSS), U.S. Department of State - U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations
- U.S. Army Criminal Investigation CommandU.S. Army Criminal Investigation CommandUnited States Army Criminal Investigation Command investigates felony crimes and serious violations of military law within the United States Army...
(USACIDC)