52 LAWS GOVERNING MARINE INSPECTION 



vessel for compliance with this subchapter/ subchapter II of this 

 chapter, and the applicable rules of the road. (As amended Public 

 Law 87-171, §1(2), Aug. 30, 1961, 75 Stat. 408.) 



Boarding vessels 



19 U.S.C. 1581 



(a) Any officer of the customs may at any time go on board of any 

 vessel or vehicle at any place in the United States or within the customs 

 waters or, as he may be authorized, within a customs-enforcement 

 area established under sections 1701 and 1703-1711 of this title, or 

 at any other authorized place, without as well as within his district, 

 and examine the manifest and other documents and papers and ex- 

 amine, inspect, and search the vessel or vehicle and every part thereof 

 and any person, trunk, package, or cargo on board, and to this end 

 may hail and stop such vessel or vehicle, and use all necessary force 

 to compel compliance. 



(b) Officers of the Department of the Treasury and other persons 

 authorized by such department may go on board of any vessel at any 

 place in the United States or within the customs waters and hail, stop, 

 and board such vessel in the enforcement of the navigation laws 

 and arrest or, in case of escape or attempted escape, pursue and arrest 

 any person engaged in the breach or violation of the navigation laws. 



(c) Any master of a vessel being examined as herein provided, who 

 presents any forged, altered, or false document or paper to the examin- 

 ing officer, knowing the same to be forged, altered, or false and without 

 revealing the fact shall, in addition to any forfeiture to which in 

 consequence the vessel may be subject, be liable to a fine of not more 

 than $5,000 nor less than $500. 



(d) Any vessel or vehicle which, at any authorized place, is directed 

 to come to a stop by any officer of the customs, or is directed to come 

 to a stop by signal made by any vessel employed in the service of the 

 customs and displaying proper insignia, shall come to a stop, and 

 upon failure to comply a vessel or vehicle so directed to come to a stop 

 shall become subject to pursuit and the master, owner, operator, or 

 person in charge thereof shall be liable to a penaltv of not more than 

 $5,000 nor less than $1,000. 



(e) If upon the examination of any vessel or vehicle it shall appear 

 that a breach of the laws of the United States is being or has been 

 committed so as to render such vessel or vehicle, or the merchandise, 

 or any part thereof, on board of, or brought into the United States by 

 such vessel or vehicle, liable to forfeiture or to secure any fine or 

 penalty, the same shall be seized and any person who has engaged in 

 such breach shall be arrested. 



(f ) It shall be the duty of the several officers of the customs to seize 

 and secure any vessel, vehicle, or merchandise which shall become 

 liable to seizure, and to arrest any person who shall liecome liable 

 to arrest, by virtue of any law respecting the revenue, as well with- 

 out as within their respective districts, and to use all necessary force 

 to seize or arrest the same. 



1 In the original act, these references were to the Federal Boating Act of 1958, the 

 Motorboat Act of 1940, as amended, and the applicable rules of the road. 



