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tookish1 · 08-09-2013, 09:59

Suspected drug smugglers sail to jail - CNN.com

Coast Guard seizes 1200 lbs of cocaine from a Canadian flagged 49' sailboat they spotted 500 miles out in the Atlantic. I'm for catching bad guys but something doesn't add up. Even if it makes sense for a cutter to be 500 miles offshore....an extra 1200lbs on a 49' sailboat shouldn't make it "suspiciously" low in the water.

Are we all being watched and our waterlines checked via satellite to make sure we are appropriately loaded?

Is there anywhere we can go without being watched?

psneeld · 08-09-2013, 10:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by tookish1

Suspected drug smugglers sail to jail - CNN.com

Coast Guard seizes 1200 lbs of cocaine from a Canadian flagged 49' sailboat they spotted 500 miles out in the Atlantic. I'm for catching bad guys but something doesn't add up. Even if it makes sense for a cutter to be 500 miles offshore....an extra 1200lbs on a 49' sailboat shouldn't make it "suspiciously" low in the water.

Are we all being watched and our waterlines checked via satellite to make sure we are appropriately loaded?

Is there anywhere we can go without being watched?

Don't have someone tip the authorities you are carrying and your waterline won't look suspiciously low.

A good lawyer will blow a hole in that argument (if he can't he needs to hire me as an expert witness

)..but once done...all the cards fall into place even without criminal prosecution because the "probable cause" was weak or incorrect.

Who really cares if the crew goes to jail..there's 1,000,000 more to jump in for the next run....

cortezsailor · 29-09-2013, 07:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by psneeld

Don't have someone tip the authorities you are carrying and your waterline won't look suspiciously low.

A good lawyer will blow a hole in that argument (if he can't he needs to hire me as an expert witness

)..but once done...all the cards fall into place even without criminal prosecution because the "probable cause" was weak or incorrect. Who really cares if the crew goes to jail..there's 1,000,000 more to jump in for the next run....

I would like to know on what legal grounds they could have even been stopped? As far as I was aware the Americans can stop any American flagged ship anywhere they want, but unless we ( Canadians) have officially been absorbed by the US what are the legal grounds allowing them to board a vessel 500 miles off shore?

rebel heart · 29-09-2013, 08:16

It's entirely probable they didn't add:

"And this guy, Frank, right here, is an informant who also gave us a tip off about the vessel. Wave hi to the cameras, Frank. Frank was great in all the info he gave us, and he'll be sitting over there in that apartment behind me, unit four, until trial."

dpons · 29-09-2013, 08:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by cortezsailor

I would like to know on what legal grounds they could have even been stopped? As far as I was aware the Americans can stop any American flagged ship anywhere they want, but unless we ( Canadians) have officially been absorbed by the US what are the legal grounds allowing them to board a vessel 500 miles off shore?

Some countries, by agreement, allow inspections of their vessels by the US.
I won't argue that it is a clear negation of their sovereignty, such are things these days.

tropicalescape · 29-09-2013, 08:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by tookish1

Suspected drug smugglers sail to jail - CNN.com

Coast Guard seizes 1200 lbs of cocaine from a Canadian flagged 49' sailboat they spotted 500 miles out in the Atlantic. I'm for catching bad guys but something doesn't add up. Even if it makes sense for a cutter to be 500 miles offshore....an extra 1200lbs on a 49' sailboat shouldn't make it "suspiciously" low in the water.

Are we all being watched and our waterlines checked via satellite to make sure we are appropriately loaded?

Is there anywhere we can go without being watched?

They have technology that allows them to know if a car pulls off a hwy on an exit ramp and lets someone out or loads up with dope...You can bet "Big Brother" is watching everything..

avb3 · 29-09-2013, 08:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by cortezsailor

I would like to know on what legal grounds they could have even been stopped? As far as I was aware the Americans can stop any American flagged ship anywhere they want, but unless we ( Canadians) have officially been absorbed by the US what are the legal grounds allowing them to board a vessel 500 miles off shore?

They would request official permission to board from Canadian officials. It is almost always granted. The same would occur if a Canadian vessel suspect a US flagged vessel in international waters.

At any rate, if you would not want to argue when the big guns are pointed at you. One can leave that discussion for court later on.

IdoraKeeper · 29-09-2013, 09:48

If that crap was legal...there would be no need to board or point guns at anyone.

psneeld · 29-09-2013, 14:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by IdoraKeeper

If that crap was legal...there would be no need to board or point guns at anyone.

Actually there would STILL be a lot of reasons to do armed boardings on the high seas...there are at least a dozen other illicit activities that criminals arm themselves/pose a historical threat against LE officials...

zeehag · 29-09-2013, 14:20

i guess you guys didnt read of late that usa homeless insecurity decided unilaterally to add mexico and canada to their home base so they can do that.
this all happened within this past year--should otta read more of the world around ye. mebbe the distractions placed in the news at same time regarding political party bs was too much for most to sort out..this was underlying. have fun with it.

goboatingnow · 29-09-2013, 14:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by zeehag

i guess you guys didnt read of late that usa homeless insecurity decided unilaterally to board us and mexican vessels and to go into canada and mexico for their own means., this all happened within this past year--should otta read more of the world around ye. mebbe the distractions placed in the news at same time regarding political party bs was too much for most to sort out..this was underlying. have fun with it.

No country unilaterally boards another countries vessels in international waters without agreement. To do so is an act of war. All these boardings have behind the scenes agreements or treaties.

Dave

scoobert · 29-09-2013, 14:35

simple informant and satellite surveillance. drug smuggling is hard to do well, and is typically done by idiots.

goboatingnow · 29-09-2013, 15:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by scoobert

simple informant and satellite surveillance. drug smuggling is hard to do well, and is typically done by idiots.

Only the ones that get caught

Dave

avb3 · 29-09-2013, 15:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by zeehag

i guess you guys didnt read of late that usa homeless insecurity decided unilaterally to add mexico and canada to their home base so they can do that.
this all happened within this past year--should otta read more of the world around ye. mebbe the distractions placed in the news at same time regarding political party bs was too much for most to sort out..this was underlying. have fun with it.

I don't know about Mexico, but Canada and United States are working on a joint hot pursuit policy. What that would do is allow a law enforcement agency from one country entered the other country if they are in hot pursuit the suspect, and effect an arrest. There are obvious problems with jurisdiction, and they have not yet come to agreement how that would work.

So there is some truth in what you're saying, but its not a done deal yet. Don't be surprised if you see an RCMP vehicle chasing somebody in Montana in the near future.