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Mr. Luddite[_4_]

On 4/3/2018 11:13 PM, wrote:
On Tue, 03 Apr 2018 19:33:27 -0400, wrote:

they can board and search
vessels at sea without a warrant and that extends into just about
anywhere they have jurisdiction. You see that in action here when they
will put some junior enlisted coastie on the sheriff's boat during
those enhanced enforcement weekends so they do not have to deal with
niceties if they want to look over your boat. They just send the CG
guy on board to look around. The CG does have the power to
immediately seize your boat if there are drugs on board, in any
quantity. I often wonder if that has ever been tested in court if they
are inside the COLREGS line. I know offshore guides are pretty adamant
with a "no drugs on my boat" rule.

===

Small quantities of drugs inside the COLREGS line would probably be
referred to local law enforcement similar to how suspected firearms
violations are handled.

That is exactly how it is handled, even if it's a regular, local CG
patrol craft that boards a recreational vessel and finds illegal drugs
or weapons. The local police department is called who meets the
offending vessel crew at the dock and arrests them.

The Massachusetts Environmental Police are the ones everyone watches out
for up here. They have broad law enforcement authority, more so than
even local or state police departments. They also operate as part of
Homeland Security assets. A MEP officer can even stop you for a traffic
violation when driving your car down the highway.