DHS Under Kristi Noem Allegedly Redirected $170M Intended to Combat Illegal Chinese Fishing Operations to World Cup Security
A congressional funding dispute has emerged after a report alleged that most of a $170 million appropriation intended to strengthen efforts against illegal Chinese fishing operations was instead used for domestic security initiatives, including protection for major public events.
According to Punchbowl News, Congress allocated the funding through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act to improve maritime domain awareness and strengthen the United States’ ability to monitor and counter illegal fishing operations linked to China.
The report states that the Department of Homeland Security did not use the funds for that purpose.
Instead, approximately $155 million was reportedly redirected to counter-drone technology and other security measures supporting large public events, including the 2026 FIFA World Cup and America’s 250th anniversary celebrations.
The reported funding decisions occurred while Kristi Noem served as secretary of Homeland Security.
Punchbowl News cited both a senior congressional aide and an administration official as confirming that the funds were repurposed for domestic security operations rather than maritime enforcement.
Texas Sen. Ted Cruz (R), who supported the original appropriation, said the funding had not been used as intended.
“Unfortunately the bulk of the funding has not gone where it needed to go,” Cruz said, according to the report.
Cruz has advocated using the funding to expand maritime surveillance capabilities aimed at detecting illegal fishing fleets and strengthening Coast Guard operations.
According to the report, the remaining funds were allocated for Coast Guard communications equipment and upgrades to Merchant Mariner credential systems.
The funding dispute comes as a bipartisan group of senators has called for additional action against China’s distant-water fishing fleet.
On Thursday, Cruz and eight other senators sent a letter to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent urging sanctions against 29 vessels they said support illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing operations linked to China.
The lawmakers argued that targeting the vessels and their support networks would increase financial and reputational risks for companies involved in the operations and make it more difficult for the fleet to continue operating, per the Daily Mail.
In their letter, the senators described China’s distant-water fishing activities as occurring “at a scale that constitutes ecocide conducted via gross human rights abuses.”
The Department of Homeland Security has not publicly announced any change to the congressional appropriation, and the report did not indicate that the agency violated any law in redirecting the funding.
The reported spending reflects competing priorities between maritime security initiatives and domestic security preparations for large-scale public events that required enhanced counter-drone and crowd protection capabilities.
Cruz said he intends to continue pursuing additional resources for Coast Guard maritime surveillance and enforcement efforts through the Senate Commerce Committee, which oversees the service’s budget.
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