56 Proceedings Summer 2025 Visual data, like this Resepoint® playback from a 2023 grounding marine casualty, gives investigators a more complete picture of what may have led to the incident. Coast Guard image weather observations and similar information. By establishing centralized expertise and standard- ized protocols, the INCOE ensures both consistency and accuracy throughout the data collection and analysis process, significantly bolstering the integrity and reli- ability of investigations Coast Guard wide. The INCOE also fosters multinational and multiagency collaboration and knowledge sharing, ensuring that best practices and the latest technological advancements in digital foren- sics are disseminated effectively across the Coast Guard investigative community. Vital to the success of the Coast Guard marine casu- alty investigations process is the Document and Media Exploitation (DOMEX) program executed through the Coast Guard’s Digital Forensics Laboratory (DFL). The Mark L. Jenkins Digital Forensic Laboratory, located at Coast Guard Base Boston, operates with a full-time staff of trained professionals who provide advanced digital forensic services to meet the service’s evolving needs. This state-of-the-art laboratory has a proven track record of successfully recovering data from encrypted, dam- aged, locked, and even submerged devices. The lab is indispensable in modern digital forensic investigations, particularly when physical evidence is damaged, cor- rupted, limited, or seemingly unavailable. The DFL is equipped with cutting-edge tools and specialized expertise to make that information available to investigators. Its dedicated personnel meticulously analyze a diverse array of digital devices—ranging from personal smartphones and computer systems to sophisticated GPS units, critical engine control modules, and other electronically stored data. This comprehen- sive approach, central to the DOMEX program, involves the processing, exploitation, translation, analysis, and dissemination of lawfully obtained digital evidence. Through the application of digital forensics, skilled examiners identify, preserve, analyze, document, and extract material from these devices, playing a crucial role in resolving complex cases, reconstructing timelines, and uncovering essential details that would otherwise remain hidden. The following real-world cases illustrate the extraordinary capabilities of the Coast Guard’s digi- tal forensics infrastructure and its growing importance in maritime safety and accountability. Leveraging the members of the Coast Guard Auxiliary who have highly technical skills has enabled their
