§2237 Criminal Sanctions for Failure to Heave To, Obstruction of Boarding, or Providing False Information

Summary

It is illegal for the person in charge of a U.S. vessel or a vessel under U.S. control to knowingly ignore a lawful federal officer’s order to stop or slow the ship for boarding. It is also illegal for anyone on board to forcefully resist or interfere with a lawful boarding or arrest, or to give deliberately false information about the vessel’s trip, ownership, registration, nationality, cargo, or crew. Breaking these rules can bring fines or jail time of up to 5 years. If the act causes death or involves trying to kill someone, kidnapping, or other very serious violent crimes, the punishments can be many years or life. Serious injury or transporting people in inhumane conditions can bring up to 15 years. Customs and other federal officers still have the power to order a vessel to stop. A foreign country can agree to U.S. enforcement by radio, phone, or similar means, and that consent can be certified by the Secretary of State. Key terms: “Federal law enforcement officer” (defined elsewhere), “heave to” (slow, stop, or change course/speed to allow boarding), “vessel of the United States” and “vessel subject to U.S. jurisdiction” (defined elsewhere), and “transportation under inhumane conditions” (confined spaces, excessive speed, too many people, or intentional grounding).