Sea marshal

Last updated August 30, 2024

Sea marshal is an internationally recognized term to describe armed law enforcement officers who board, sweep, search, protect, escort, and maintain control of vessels to prevent hijacking or acts of terrorism. In the United States of America, a sea marshal (more recently renamed "boarding officer") is a federal law enforcement officer who conducts fully armed boardings of maritime vessels for the purposes of ensuring the security and safety of the United States as well as the boarded ship, its cargo, and crew. Sea marshals/boarding officers operate under the jurisdiction of the United States Coast Guard within the US Department of Homeland Security.

History

The sea marshal program was first created following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. It was initially launched using reservists from the Coast Guard Investigative Service (CGIS) in the Port of San Francisco immediately following the attacks as a temporary effort to provide port security. Sea marshals were later deployed in the ports of Long Beach, Los Angeles, and San Diego California. On the east coast, a large team of mobilized reservists - mostly civilian police officers from the New York-New Jersey region - was create to protect the Port of NY/NJ. Similar units were created in Boston, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and Hampton Roads.

The sea marshal concept was driven by the idea of a cruise ship, cargo vessel, container ship, freighter or another large maritime vessel entering a port unsecured; a large and vulnerable target for attack, or potentially even bearing destructive intentions itself. Vessels commonly carry stowaways, and terror operatives have been discovered as recently as 2003.^[1] This terrorist delivery route was proven effective by the seaborne November 2008 Mumbai attacks, in India. After hijacking a fishing trawler and killing the crew to provide cover and avoid detection by the Indian Coast Guard, terrorists showed fake identification papers to Indian Coast Guard boarding officers and were allowed to continue on their way.^[2] Terrorist teams then sailed close to the Mumbai coast and deployed in a smallboat laden with arms and explosives. Once ashore, they killed and wounded hundreds in a standoff battle that went on for four days.

In the US, sea marshals were created to provide a line of defense against ports, the critical infrastructure within and underneath them, and the economic throughput of maritime industry in the United States: ports and cargo ships account for 95% of all economic trade in the country.^[3]

Composition of boarding teams

US Coast Guard boarding teams consist of both boarding officers and boarding team members. Members of the boarding teams can be enlisted, warrant officers, or commissioned officers.

Operations

The coast guard conducts both random and required boardings of all types of ships incoming to U.S. ports; typically large port-bound vessels. The boardings are usually conducted offshore while the vessel is en route to the port to ensure they arrive safely, and to minimize interruptions to the economic flow within the port.

Boarding teams are trained to board from the side of a vessel via a rope ladder from a pilot boat or another coast guard vessel, or by vertical delivery from a helicopter.

Although boardings are intended to focus on homeland security missions, while conducting searches on the vessel, boarding members also come across illegal drugs, smuggling and other violations of maritime laws. They have the authority to enforce all such laws, while boarding officers (not boarding team members) may also conduct arrests based on violations of maritime law.

Sea marshals receive extensive tactical and operational law enforcement training by the US Coast Guard, but also conduct cross-training and joint operations with the FBI, Customs, US Navy, and other agencies.

Qualified boarding team members and boarding officers can also serve in other coast guard units, including TACLET and LEDET units, as well as on board coast guard cutters.

Legal jurisdiction

United States Code, Title 14, Section 89(a) provides the legal authority and jurisdiction for the US Coast Guard to operate the program and for its officers to board incoming vessels:

Sec. 89. Law enforcement

(a) The Coast Guard may make inquiries, examinations, inspections, searches, seizures, and arrests upon the high seas and waters over which the United States has jurisdiction, for the prevention, detection, and suppression of violations of laws of the United States. For such purposes, commissioned, warrant, and petty officers may at any time go on board of any vessel subject to the jurisdiction, or to the operation of any law, of the United States, address inquiries to those on board, examine the ship's documents and papers, and examine, inspect, and search the vessel and use all necessary force to compel compliance. When from such inquiries, examination, inspection, or search it appears that a breach of the laws of the United States rendering a person liable to arrest is being, or has been committed, by any person, such person shall be arrested or, if escaping to shore, shall be immediately pursued and arrested on shore, or other lawful and appropriate action shall be taken; or, if it shall appear that a breach of the laws of the United States has been committed so as to render such vessel, or the merchandise, or any part thereof, on board of, or brought into the United States by, such vessel, liable to forfeiture, or so as to render such vessel liable to a fine or penalty and if necessary to secure such fine or penalty, such vessel or such merchandise, or both, shall be seized.

(b) The officers of the Coast Guard insofar as they are engaged, pursuant to the authority contained in this section, in enforcing any law of the United States shall:

(1) be deemed to be acting as agents of the particular executive department or independent establishment charged with the administration of the particular law; and
(2) be subject to all the rules and regulations promulgated by such department or independent establishment with respect to the enforcement of that law.

(c) The provisions of this section are in addition to any powers conferred by law upon such officers, and not in limitation of any powers conferred by law upon such officers, or any other officers of the United States.

(Aug. 4, 1949, ch. 393, 63 Stat. 502; Aug. 3, 1950, ch. 536, Sec. 1, 64 Stat. 406.)

Related Research Articles

The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and law enforcement service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the country's eight uniformed services. The service is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the United States military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission with jurisdiction in both domestic and international waters and a federal regulatory agency mission as part of its duties. It is the largest coast guard in the world, rivaling the capabilities and size of most navies.

A coast guard or coastguard is a maritime security organization of a particular country. The term embraces wide range of responsibilities in different countries, from being a heavily armed military force with customs and security duties to being a volunteer organization tasked with search and rescue without law enforcement authority. In most countries, a typical coast guard's functions are distinct from those of the navy and the transit police, while in certain countries they have similarities to both.

A customs officer is a law enforcement agent who enforces customs laws, on behalf of a government.

The International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code is an amendment to the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) Convention (1974/1988) on Maritime security including minimum security arrangements for ships, ports and government agencies. Having come into force in 2004, it prescribes responsibilities to governments, shipping companies, shipboard personnel, and port/facility personnel to "detect security threats and take preventive measures against security incidents affecting ships or port facilities used in international trade."

USS Rodney M. Davis (FFG-60) was an Oliver Hazard Perry-class guided missile frigate of the United States Navy named for Marine Sergeant Rodney Maxwell Davis (1942–1967), who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroism in the Vietnam War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coast Guard Investigative Service</span> Division of the United States Coast Guard

The Coast Guard Investigative Service (CGIS) is a division of the United States Coast Guard that investigates crimes where the U.S. Coast Guard has an interest. It is composed of civilian (GS-1811), active duty, reserve enlisted, and warrant officer special agents.

A Maritime Safety and Security Team, or MSST, is a counter-terrorism team of the United States Coast Guard established to protect local maritime assets. It is also a harbor and inshore patrol and security team that includes detecting and, if necessary, stopping or arresting submerged divers, using the Underwater Port Security System. It is the only special force that can arrest submerged divers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Port security</span> Security of commerce ports

Port security is part of a broader definition concerning maritime security. It refers to the defense, law and treaty enforcement, and Counterterrorism activities that fall within the port and maritime domain. It includes the protection of the seaports themselves and the protection and inspection of the cargo moving through the ports. Security risks related to ports often focus on either the physical security of the port, or security risks within the maritime supply chain.

Law Enforcement Detachments or LEDETs are specialized, deployable maritime law enforcement teams of the United States Coast Guard. First established in 1982, their primary mission is to deploy aboard U.S. and allied naval vessels to conduct counter-drug operations and support maritime law enforcement, interdiction, or security operations. LEDETs are the operational elements of the Coast Guard’s two Tactical Law Enforcement Teams (TACLETs) which are part of the Coast Guard’s Deployable Specialized Forces (DSF). As of April 2010 there are seventeen LEDETs.

The Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002 (MTSA) is an Act of Congress enacted by the 107th United States Congress to address port and waterway security. It was signed into law by President George W. Bush on November 25, 2002.

The United States Coast Guard is the coastal defense, search and rescue, and maritime law enforcement branch of the United States Armed Forces and is one of the country's eight uniformed services. It carries out three basic roles, which are further subdivided into eleven statutory missions. The three roles are:

A sea captain, ship's captain, captain, master, or shipmaster, is a high-grade licensed mariner who holds ultimate command and responsibility of a merchant vessel. The captain is responsible for the safe and efficient operation of the ship, including its seaworthiness, safety and security, cargo operations, navigation, crew management, and legal compliance, and for the persons and cargo on board.

The Special Security Team is a police tactical unit of the Japan Coast Guard, based at the Osaka Special Security Station (大阪特殊警備基地). The acronym of its Kanji name has already been used by other units, the abbreviation "SST" is used for this team.

Visit, board, search, and seizure (VBSS) is the term used by United States military and law enforcement agencies for maritime boarding actions and tactics. VBSS teams are designed to capture enemy vessels, combat terrorism, piracy, and smuggling, and to conduct customs, safety and other inspections.

Maritime security operations (MSO) are the actions of modern naval forces to "combat sea-based terrorism and other illegal activities, such as hijacking, piracy, and slavery, also known as human trafficking." Ships assigned to such operations may also assist seafaring vessels in distress. These activities are part of an overall category of activities which fall short of open warfare called military operations other than war (MOOTW). MSO also involve the marine environmental protection, creating a safer and clean environment.

Sector Commander is the position title of the commanding officer of a United States Coast Guard Sector, usually of the rank of Captain (O-6). The Sector Commander's second-in-command is the Deputy Sector Commander. Also reporting directly to the Sector Commander are the Command Master Chief (CMC), the Senior Reserve Officer, and the Sector's Auxiliary Coordinator.

Maritime Security Regimes are codes and conventions of behavior agreed upon by coastal states to provide a degree of security within territorial waters and on the high seas.

The Deployable Specialized Forces (DSF) —formerly Deployable Operations Group— are part of the United States Coast Guard that provide highly equipped, trained and organized deployable specialized forces, to the Coast Guard, United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS), United States Department of Defense (DoD) and inter-agency operational and tactical commanders. The command was formerly headquartered in Arlington, Virginia where it was established on 20 July 2007, and was commanded by a captain. It was decommissioned by the Commandant of the Coast Guard, Admiral Robert Papp on 1 October 2013, with units previously assigned to the DOG being split between Coast Guard Pacific and Atlantic Area commands. The units were subsequently reorganized under Deployable Specialized Forces (DSF).

The Maritime Law Enforcement Academy (MLEA) is a United States Coast Guard school located at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) in Charleston, South Carolina. It was created from the relocation and merger of the former Law Enforcement School at Yorktown, Virginia, and the former Boarding Team Member School at Petaluma, California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Patrol Forces Southwest Asia</span> Military unit

Patrol Forces Southwest Asia (PATFORSWA) is a United States Coast Guard command based in Manama, Bahrain. PATFORSWA was created in November 2002 as a contingency operation to support the U.S. Navy with patrol boats. The command's mission is to train, equip, deploy, and support combat-ready Coast Guard forces conducting operations in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF), Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR) in the Naval Forces Central Command's area of responsibility. It was commissioned as a permanent duty station in June 2004. In July 2003, PATFORSWA moved from its own compound to facilities at Naval Support Activity Bahrain.

References

↑ On The Waterfront, U.S. Seaports May Be The Biggest Terrorist Threats, 60 Minutes|
↑ "Coast Guard let off Kuber after terrorists gave fake I-cards". The Economic Times.
↑ U.S. Port Industry Information, American Association of Port Authorities|http://www.aapa-ports.org/Industry/content.cfm?ItemNumber=1022&navItemNumber=901

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

[1] On The Waterfront, U.S. Seaports May Be The Biggest Terrorist Threats, 60 Minutes|

[2] "Coast Guard let off Kuber after terrorists gave fake I-cards". The Economic Times.

[3] U.S. Port Industry Information, American Association of Port Authorities|http://www.aapa-ports.org/Industry/content.cfm?ItemNumber=1022&navItemNumber=901

[1]

[2]

[3]