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Coast Guard Inspections
In article ,
(Capt Lou) wrote:
The (Massachusetts) state police (and even some harbormasters) claim
they too can board any vessel without probable cause because they are
"deputized" by U.S. Customs.
All kinds of LEO's CLAIM that they can do this and that, but the LAW
is very clear on these points. US Flagged Vessels can only be boarded
against the skippers wishes by USCG and US Marshals. The point can
be debated, at the point of a gun, but in Court, after you spent your
jailtime waiting for trial, the LAW will prevail. Most LEO's understand
this, and get a USCG Officer/Noncom to accompany any boarding, or get
one of the local US Marshals to go along. When I was a FED, (FCC)
this was SOP for us when we were refused boarding. I remeber an incident
down in Grays Harbor, WA, where one of my fellow Agents wanted to inspect
a local charterboat, and the skipper refused to allow him to board. He
went down to the local USCG Lifeboat Detachment, and got the CPO, to
mount a Boarding Party with M60's and Tompson's and returned to the
charterboat, boarded and found 50Kg of dope stuffed under a bunk.
Our guy busted him for an expired SOLAS Certificate, but the USCG
took the boat and the guy got 20 Years in the Federal Slam for Drug
Running.
Bruce in alaska who recognizes that LEO's LIE all the time about
what they can do.........
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