Coast Guard
Comando de Guardacostas

The Coastguard Command of the Navy has twenty-three years of glorious performance and despite being established in the 20th century, its evolution goes back into the history of the Navy. While the Squadron Commander proposed to the Naval High Command the creation of the Coast Guard in September, 1980, the process began at the moment when Venezuela sealed its independence from spain at the heroic naval battle of Lake Maracaibo on the 24th of July, 1823.

1825 is the exact date that Ship Lieutentant Pedro Lucas Urribarri was given command of the schooner Independence and commissioned to engage in the functions of a coastguard ship in the area of Cabo Codera and the island of Orchila. The basic mission of the Independence was to persecute and exile pirates who were active in the area and it did so with full success. Throughout the 19th century in the memories of the military and navy, the idea of the coastguard has persisted, such as the military schooner Constitution which operated in 1845.

In the 20th century, Coastguard vessels were commissioned by ships of the Navy and effectively carried out their missions. Proof of this were the smugglers caught on the islands and in the waters near the Venezuelan coasts.

Admiral Lino de Clemente expanded the project of defending the coasts of Gran Columbia (referencing Venezuela, New Granada and Ecuador), to protect the fledgling country when Spain refused to recognize its independence. This same project is carried on in the present day by the Coast Guard Command squadron across all waters; maintaining the fundamental sovereignty of Venezuela's waters, and the protection of the marine resources of the country.

Due to this mission and for greater effectiveness, the Coast Guard Command has created a series of main stations (located on the mainland) and satellite stations (located in the insular areas), which allow it to carry out the core principles of its mission. Presently, the Coast Guard has six main stations and six satellite stations and within the squadron two Coastguard vessels of the "Admiral Clemente" class, four Patrol crafts of the "Petrel" class, twelve patrol crafts of the "Fascione" class, a harbor tug of the "Captain Fernando Gomez" class, two Coastguard boats of the "Los Taques" class, a hydrographic boat of the "Lely" class, seven boats of the "Polaris" class, one vessel type of the "Chichiriviche" class, and eight Marine Signaling boats of the "Punta Macolla" class.

Documentary chronology of the Command:

April 24th, 1981, Resolution No. M-1330, the Coast Guard squadron was created and assigned to Squadron Command.

July 20th, 1982, Resolution No. M-217, the coastguard service is demoted and placed directly under the command of Naval Operations.

September 8th, 1984, The Command of the Coastguard relocates his seat from the building of the Navy to one by the Naval Wharf of Guaira (Old Naval Recuperadora).

February 17th, 1987, the Coastguard command is promoted and integrated into one of the five operational commands of the Navy of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.

January 20th, 2001, the Command relocates againto the Old Naval school of Venezuela located at the end of Los Baños de Maiquetía Estado Vargas street, in conformance with the Naval Complex of Maiquetia under the direction of the Independent Services of the Armada (DISEAR), Coordinating Office of Hydrography and NAvegacion (OCHINA) and the Coordinating Office.