New security zones around President Trump’s Florida golf club and residence were announced Friday by the Coast Guard, restricting vessel movements in the Palm Beach area.
The Coast Guard’s Seventh District headquarters in Miami imposed the security zones beginning at 6 a.m. Friday, Feb. 3, and continuing until 11:59 p.m. Monday, Feb. 6.
After his first two weeks in Washington Trump is spending the weekend at his Mar-a-Lago Club, where he will attend a fundraising ball for the Red Cross Saturday. Protesters are expected to march nearby, the Associated Press and Palm Beach Post reported.
“The security zone is necessary to protect the VIP and accompanying official party, the public, and the surrounding waterway from terrorist acts, sabotage or other subversive acts, accidents, or other causes of a similar nature,” according to the Coast Guard advisory. “Entering, stopping, or anchoring in this security zone is prohibited unless authorized by the Captain of the Port Miami or a designated representative.”
Security zones in vicinity of the Mar-a-Lago Club in Florida have been established during presidential visits to the Palm Beach area. U.S. Coast Guard photo illustration.
The security zones include parts of the Lake Worth Lagoon and Intracoastal Waterway inside of the barrier island, and the Atlantic Ocean 1,000 yards offshore, centered on the area of the club and the Southern Boulevard Bridge in Palm Beach. The Coast Guard issued these guidelines:
Zone 1: This zone is always in effect. No vessels or person will be permitted to enter this zone consisting of the waters of the Lake Worth Lagoon from the southern tip of the Everglades Island in the north to approximately 1,000 yards from the south of the Southern Boulevard Bridge on the south and eastern shore line west of Fisherman Island.
Vessels seeking authorization to transit security zone 1 must contact the Coast Guard via marine-band radio via VHF-FM channel 16.
Zone 2: This zone is always in effect. All vessels transiting the second zone shall maintain a steady speed and shall not slow or stop from waters of the Lake Worth Lagoon including the Intracoastal Waterway from the southern tip of the Everglades Island in the north to approximately 1000 yards from the south of the bridge on the south and from the western shore line to the western edge of the Fisherman Island in the east. Vessels needing to wait for the Southern Boulevard Bridge to open in zone 2 are permitted to wait in this zone only for the draw bridge to raise for safe passage.
Zone 3: This zone is always in effect. All vessels transiting the third zone shall maintain a steady speed and shall not slow or stop from waters of the Atlantic Ocean from the Banyan Road in the north to Ocean View Road in the south and from shore to approximately 1000 yards east of the shoreline.
"Violation of a security zone may result in a civil penalty in excess of $88,000, a criminal penalty up to $10,000, and/or imprisonment up to 12 years,” the Coast Guard warned.
