Posted on 09/22/2005 2:42:37 PM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
Two of the Moss Landing Harbor residents who were the subjects of random boat searches during Labor Day Weekend say their experiences were closer to armed invasions than the friendly "safety inspections" characterized by U.S. Coast Guard officials.
Both residents said search crews entered the harbor in inflatable boats with machine guns mounted on their bows. Then, carrying M-16 rifles, they approached residents and boarded and searched their boats in the name of safety and "homeland security."
One resident, who asked not to be identified for fear or retribution, said his experience was "very intimidating, very frightening."
"To me it reeks of Nazi Germany and the death squads in Argentina," he said. "I don't want my name on their list."
Scott Jones, a live-aboard resident who was searched, said there has been talk in the harbor about contacting the American Civil Liberties Union, but he first wants to hear further from the Coast Guard about its future intentions.
Lt. Mark Warren of the Monterey Coast Guard Station said he has heard mostly positive response to the operation, but may rethink future actions given current criticisms.
"We take lessons and learn from these types of operations. If the public is genuinely distasteful of it, we might not do it," he said. "I'm not saying we won't, but I'm not saying we will."
In addition to trying to ensure the safety of boats on the bay during the holiday weekend, Warren said, the operation was part of an effort to increase the public's awareness of the Coast Guard's role as a law enforcement agency under the Department of Homeland Security. He said the public might have been surprised to see weaponry that is now standard issue to all Homeland Security forces.
"I, as a U.S. citizen, am highly offended by that," said Jones, who is accustomed to Coast Guard boardings when he sails. "When a sheriff's deputy drives down the road or a CHP officer drives down the road and I see them, I'm aware of his job, and not because he's pulled me over and put a gun to my head.
"The Coast Guard's needs would be better served by an advertising campaign," he said, "rather than bullying people in their bedrooms at 10:30 at night."
Jones said he and his wife were sleeping when they were awakened by knocking on the side of the boat.
He went to the deck and was confronted by two armed officers asking if they could come aboard. Thinking something had happened in the harbor that the officers needed to talk to him about, Jones acquiesced.
"It seemed a little unreasonable at 10:30 at night," he said, "but it was the middle of the night and I was half asleep, so I said 'OK.' At this point, I looked out and saw six to eight officers (on the dock) and all appeared armed."
The officers boarded his boat and quickly spread out beyond the immediate deck without invitation, saying they were conducting a safety inspection.
"I can say with all certainly that what they did was not a safety inspection or in any way related to a safety inspection," he said. The officers demanded access to the bilge, saying they wanted to make sure the boat wasn't taking on water.
"This was highly suspect," Jones said. "If you're on board, you'd know if you were taking on water."
When Jones showed them the bilge, the officers repeatedly, and with increasing forcefulness, demanded to know if there were other accesses to the bilge. They also "demanded" the driver's licenses of everyone on board.
Increasingly upset by the nature of the search, Jones asked for the officers' authority and justification. One officer read to him from a federal code authorizing the search.
"It was either the Patriot Act or homeland security,"Jones said.
Warren said the officers would not have cited the Patriot Act because it affords the Coast Guard no additional authority.
Jones conceded he may have heard "homeland security" and registered "Patriot Act," but still feels the search was unwarranted and in a gray area of the law at best.
"I wouldn't question their professionalism, but I do question their motive and their authority," he said. "To me, it sounds like something that an ACLU lawyer would just tear apart."
Coast Guard officials say they are authorized by maritime law to board and search vessels on U.S. waters, including waters that lead to U.S. waters, to enforce federal laws.
Warren said the officers were attempting to ensure the safety and compliance of docked boats by checking for oily water in their bilges and that their sanitation devices were in locked position. Some searches were conducted at night in an effort to catch boats before they went onto the bay for the weekend.
The second boat owner who spoke to The Herald said his boat was searched after he challenged officers who were searching other boats, at 10:30 p.m. Sept. 2, and during the morning on following days. Told they were acting as Homeland Security officers, he asked what they were protecting the harbor from.
"Terrorists," he said he was told by the officers, who exhorted him to "remember the Cole," referring to the October 2000 attack by terrorists on the USS Cole that killed 17 sailors.
"The only terrorists down here are you guys," he told them. "You're scaring the hell out of me with that machine gun."
While Warren was noncommittal about future searches, he said it is important for the public to know the Coast Guard's presence will be increased.
"The Coast Guard's focus on homeland security has increased our presence on the water and will continue to increase our presence simply because that's what Congress is wanting us to do right now," he said. "The concern at the congressional level about the security of ports is pretty high."
I don't believe these boaters were aware of the exercise.
And I know they didn't know they would be rousted in the middle of the night.
Besides, we need to be able to perform exercises without this kind of harassment of innocent civilian boaters who are docked and asleep.
Lt Warren said he wouldn't do it again.
For now, I will take his word for it. But I doubt this will be the end of the story for him. Apparently it was his call to roust these innocent and unsuspecting docked and sleeping boaters in the middle of the night.
Not a good call by any measure.
"It is Scary that this can happen in America... The terrorist have won once we have lost our civil rights."
And what exactly did happen?
One sided reporting, again, about so called military abuses.
Gee that's what hanoi kerry did in the 70's
"I don't believe these boaters were aware of the exercise."
How come no one in WA "complained"
They knew, beforehand.
So let me know when the Coast Guard investigation is done.
"You're still trying to excuse your behavior.
You were never in uniform anywhere."
takenoprisoner : This should be easy for you to prove false.
Where and when did you serve in the Marine Corps?
I'm pinging dcwusmc and Race Bannon for you.
parris island platoon 1003
itr camp lejuene
san diego comm school
second shore party battalion camp lejeune
mcas kaneohe bay
nad waikele
nad oahu
mcas beaufort
eas
now prove your and ds his and mike in iraq his
"Perhaps you should look at this "high crime" harbor in question."
http://image24.webshots.com/25/2/76/60/37727660NYIfoY_ph.jpg
If you look at what is in the background I think you see a
terrorist rich target.
loose lips tonk
Just click on my FR profile.
I just asked that you settle this about your service.
I did NOT ever question it but was suprised you didn't respond to others.
PS And Neil E. Wright has a copy of my DD 214 on file with VetsCoR
I proved my stations post haste. You guys are way too slow and I will have to consider that you are making it up from this juncture
"I proved my stations post haste. You guys are way too slow and I will have to consider that you are making it up from this juncture"
PS As further "proof" Jim Robinson and redrock, on seperate occasions, have visited me at Station Coos Bay.
It's all on my FR profile page
"PS And Neil E. Wright has a copy of my DD 214 on file with VetsCoR "
So you are about the Constitution then. You know we swore an oath to uphold it. I don't find this midnight roust constitutional, and I doubt dwight will either.
Remember our obligation? We only obey those orders we know to be lawful and do not obey an order we know to be unlawful.
"I proved my stations post haste. You guys are way too slow and I will have to consider that you are making it up from this juncture"
Aug 2004
68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub meets
fellow Tonkin Gulf Yacht Club Vet
Jim Robinson
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1190423/posts
"I don't find this midnight roust constitutional"
So now is's a "midnight roust"
I thought it was a 10:30 PM "roust".
I believe yours is true. My god, I've been on your ping list for years.
My bad. That was intended for my friends darksheare and mikeiniraq.
These are the guys whose service is in doubt.
Here you go, make a difference
and teach the Coast Guard a thing or 2
http://www.cgaux.org/cgauxweb/public/tbjoin.shtml
I am abroad and not in CONUS,
Tonk is a sailor from way back and went CG to serve again while others just post.
Tonk, WHat's up, Sailor??
Hey Marine!
Long time no see.
I'm not your 'friend' pal.
You've so far gone tangential and repeatedly tried to take the focus off of your statement.
Not going to work.
I served in B/Battery 1/156 Field Artillery 7AUG96 to 8AUG02.
Next?
What's up.. Takenoprisoner said the Coast Guard were "gestapo warriors" in post 575 and has taken the past three days trying to defend the statement.
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