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The Coast Guard's homeland security role includes:

Protect ports, the flow of commerce, and the marine transportation system from terrorism.
Maintain maritime border security
against illegal drugs, illegal aliens, firearms, and weapons of mass destruction.
Ensure that we can rapidly deploy and re-supply our military assets,
both by keeping Coast Guard units at a high state of readiness, and by keeping marine transportation open for the transit assets and personnel from other branches of the armed forces.
Protect against illegal fishing and indiscriminate destruction of living marine resources,
prevention and response to oil and hazardous material spills--both accidental and intentional.
Coordinate efforts and intelligence with federal, state, and local agencies

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In the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks, the Coast Guard
immediately mobilized more than 2,000 Reservists
in the largest homeland defense and port security operation since World War II.
The Coast Guard increased its vigilance, readiness, and patrols
to protect the country’s 95,000 miles of coastline,
including the Great Lakes and inland waterways.