U.S. Coast Guard Sector Detroit hosted a delegation from the Sierra Leone Navy and the Liberian Coast Guard on August 27 for a day of briefings, interagency exchanges and demonstrations aimed at bolstering maritime security cooperation.
The visit, organized in partnership with the Michigan National Guard’s State Partnership Program — which links Michigan with both the Republic of Sierra Leone and Liberia — brought attention to maritime security priorities shared by the two West African partners.
While the program traditionally focuses on land and air security cooperation, organizers said maritime resilience remains a central objective for Sierra Leone and Liberia.
“This is a special day. It’s not often we get so many of our international partners here at Sector Detroit,” said Capt. Richard Armstrong, commander of Sector Detroit. The event, he added, offered a valuable opportunity to expose the visitors to Great Lakes border security efforts and to discuss practical approaches for safeguarding maritime domains.
Sector Detroit’s engagement included representatives from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Canada Border Services Agency, Michigan National Guard, U.S. Border Patrol, and multiple U.S. Customs and Border Protection components — CBP Air and Marine Operations and the CBP Office of Field Operations.
Delegation members praised the robust interagency dialogue, saying it reinforced their capacity to improve maritime safety, security and threat response at home.
“With eight U.S. states, two Canadian provinces and 40 tribes across the Great Lakes District’s area of responsibility, coordination is essential,” Capt. Armstrong said, stressing the importance of strong relationships among local, federal and international partners.
The U.S. Embassy in Monrovia underscored the diplomatic dimension of the visit, saying the United States stands with Liberia to strengthen maritime security. “Through the Michigan National Guard’s State Partnership Program, the Liberian Coast Guard joined U.S. and regional partners at U.S. Coast Guard Sector Detroit to exchange expertise and build resilience at sea,” the embassy said in a statement.
Organizers described the visit as an example of practical, people-to-people security cooperation that advances regional connectivity and improves the capacity of partner nations to detect and counter maritime threats.
