SpaceX launches heavy telecom satellite, sticks high-seas landing

Enlarge / SpaceX launched a similar satellite, Telstar 19 Vantage, in July of this year. (credit: SpaceX) 12:55am ET Monday Update: A little more than an hour after its launch window opened—the delay was due to remnant thunderstorms in the area—SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket launched from Florida early on Monday morning. The rocket’s first stage […]

US reportedly planning high-seas crackdown on North Korea sanctions evaders by deploying Coast Guard forces

US Coast Guard/Petty Officer Bryan Goff The Trump administration and Asian allies are preparing to expand interceptions of ships suspected of violating sanctions on North Korea. The plan reportedly includes deploying US Coast Guard units to stop and search ships. On Friday, the US slapped additional sanctions on companies and vessels linked to the North […]

The Coast Guard is detecting a new trend among high-seas narco smugglers

US Customs and Border Patrol Since June, Coast Guard vessels patrolling the US’s southern approaches have stopped seven low-profile smuggling vessels — stealthy ships that ride low in the water to spirit illicit cargos from South America to Mexico and the US. Akin to self-propelled semi-submersibles used by smugglers for the same purpose, low-profile vessels […]