Why the U.S. Coast Guard Was Involved in the Venezuelan Ship Seizure
Ahoy Pirates,
With news circulating about the U.S. seizure of a Venezuelan-linked oil tanker off Venezuela’s coast, a lot of folks are asking why the Coast Guard was involved instead of just the Navy. Here’s a clear explanation you can share.
The U.S. Coast Guard is unique among the military services because it operates as both an armed force and a federal law enforcement agency. That gives it legal authority to board, search, and seize vessels even in international waters when there’s a violation of U.S. law—like narcotics trafficking or sanctions violations. This authority comes from laws like the Maritime Drug Law Enforcement Act and has been upheld by courts going back nearly a century. The Navy does not have these authorities on its own.
That’s why, in this recent operation, even though the mission involved military platforms like a helicopter and potentially a Navy ship, the Coast Guard led the boarding. The seizure was executed under a federal court warrant as a law enforcement action, not a military strike. So it legally had to be a Coast Guard-led mission.
The teams that typically handle these operations include Law Enforcement Detachments (LEDETs), which are small Coast Guard teams that deploy aboard Navy or allied ships to conduct boardings. There are also Maritime Security and Response Teams (MSRTs), which specialize in high-risk boardings like this one and are trained for fast-rope helicopter insertions. Cutter-based boarding teams also play a big role during patrols in regions like the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific.
You might see the Coast Guard flag flying from a Navy destroyer or aircraft carrier during these types of operations. That’s because the Coast Guard is providing the legal muscle. The Navy may supply the ship or airpower, but when it comes to actually boarding and taking control of a vessel for a law enforcement purpose, that flag means it’s the Coast Guard’s show.
So when people ask, “Why the Coast Guard?”—it’s because no other branch is legally authorized to do what they do out on the open ocean. These missions are exactly why the service exists, and they’ve been doing them proudly for over two centuries.
Semper P!
The Puddle Pirate Crew
