korean journal of international and comparative law 6 (2018) 199–218 brill.com/kjic U.S. State Practice Taking a Necessary Long-Arm Approach to Maritime Enforcement Anastasia Telesetsky Professor, University of Idaho, USA
[email protected] Abstract This article summarizes U.S. State practice in the area of maritime enforcement. Focusing on the activities of the U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. Navy, the article covers law enforcement for piracy and human trafficking, law enforcement for maritime ter- rorism and weapon trafficking, enforcement against illegal extraction of living marine resources, enforcement to protect the marine environment from pollution, enforce- ment to prevent accidents at sea, customs and illegal immigration enforcement, and drug trafficking enforcement. The article notes that the U.S. approach to maritime enforcement has been a “long-arm” approach ensuring enforcement of U.S. interests spanning oceanic regions. Keywords maritime enforcement – U.S. Coast Guard – piracy – weapon trafficking – prolifera- tion security initiative – marine resource protection – drug trafficking enforcement 1 Introduction Maritime law enforcement is an essential part of national security policy for the United States. In the United States, maritime law enforcement addresses a spectrum of ocean-based threats ranging from terrorism, weapon trafficking, piracy, drug smuggling, trafficking in persons, illegal fishing, and vessel-related crimes. For certain types of national security threats, the United States asserts extraterritorial enforcement powers leading to foreign arrests and seizures of property. © koninklijke brill nv, leiden, 2018 | doi:10.1163/22134484-12340112Downloaded from Brill.com09/29/2021 07:26:07AM via free access 200 Telesetsky This State practice summary offers a brief description of the primary U.S.