Lieutenant General Lê Quang Đạo (centre), Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Việt Nam People’s Army, presents a Tết gift to representatives of the Việt Nam Coast Guard Region No. 3 Command during his inspection visit in HCM City on January 29. — Photo courtesy of Việt Nam Coast Guard

HCM CITY — A Ministry of National Defence delegation led by Lieutenant General Lê Quang Đạo, Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Việt Nam People’s Army, on January 29 visited and inspected the Việt Nam Coast Guard Region No. 3 Command in HCM City, extending Tết (Lunar New Year) greetings ahead of the 2026 holiday.

Briefing the delegation, a representative of the Coast Guard Region No. 3 Command said the command has thoroughly implemented higher-level directives on combat readiness, maintained strict duty rosters at all levels, and coordinated closely with relevant forces in the area, ensuring timely responses to situations without surprise.

Lieutenant General Lê Quang Đạo, Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Việt Nam People’s Army, addresses officers and soldiers of the Việt Nam Coast Guard Region No. 3 Command during the inspection. — Photo Courtesy of Việt Nam Coast Guard

In safeguarding sovereignty and enforcing maritime law, the command deployed 451 patrol vessels and boats, covering more than 239,000 nautical miles safely.

It inspected and controlled 303 vessels, imposed administrative fines totalling more than VNĐ2.1 billion (US$81,000), and handled multiple complex cases involving drug trafficking, smuggling and illegal mineral exploitation, contributing to maritime security and order.

Regarding the fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, the command rolled out comprehensive measures, verified and handled 18 cases of Vietnamese fishing boats violating foreign waters, warned off more than 1,000 foreign fishing vessels encroaching on Việt Nam’s waters, and penalised hundreds of fisheries-related violations, generating hundreds of millions of đồng for the State budget.

An overview of the inspection and Tết greeting programme conducted by a Ministry of National Defence delegation at the Việt Nam Coast Guard Region No. 3 Command in HCM City on January 29. — Photo courtesy of Việt Nam Coast Guard

Alongside operations, it maintained rigorous training, discipline and regularity; achieved strong results in competitions and drills; and effectively carried out political education and legal dissemination.

Mass mobilisation efforts were strengthened through programmes such as “The Coast Guard accompanies fishermen” and the contest “I love our homeland’s seas and islands”, reinforcing civil-military solidarity and the people’s posture at sea.

At the conclusion of the inspection, Đạo praised the command’s results and stressed the need to maintain unity, strengthen Party organisations, and ensure high combat readiness, especially during Tết.

He extended New Year greetings to all officers and soldiers and urged commanders to care for troop welfare, particularly those with hardships, while ensuring a safe and combat-ready Tết. — VNS