The Drug Trafficking Vessel Interdiction Act of 2008, , was an act of the

United States Congress The United States Congress is the legislature, legislative branch of the federal government of the United States. It is a Bicameralism, bicameral legislature, including a Lower house, lower body, the United States House of Representatives, ...

outlawing operation of or travel in unregistered

submersible A submersible is an underwater vehicle which needs to be transported and supported by a larger ship, watercraft or dock, platform. This distinguishes submersibles from submarines, which are self-supporting and capable of prolonged independent ope ...

s and

semi-submersible Semi-submersible may refer to a self-propelled vessel, such as: *Heavy-lift ship, which partially submerge to allow their cargo (another ship) to float into place for transport *Narco-submarine, some of which remained partially on the surface *S ...

s in

international waters The terms international waters or transboundary waters apply where any of the following types of bodies of water (or their drainage basins) transcend international boundaries: oceans, large marine ecosystems, enclosed or semi-enclosed region ...

with the

intent An intention is a mental state in which a person commits themselves to a course of action. Having the plan to visit the zoo tomorrow is an example of an intention. The action plan is the ''content'' of the intention while the commitment is the '' ...

to evade detection. The act was enacted to combat the use of illicit self-propelled semi-submersible and submersible vessels in international

drug trafficking A drug is any chemical substance other than a nutrient or an essential dietary ingredient, which, when administered to a living organism, produces a biological effect. Consumption of drugs can be via inhalation, injection, smoking, ingestion, ...

(see

narco-submarine A narco-submarine (also called a drug sub or narco-sub) is a type of custom Seakeeping, ocean-going, Marine propulsion, self-propelled, semi-submersible or fully-submersible vessel built by (or for) drug smugglers. Newer semi-submersibles are ...

).Allyson Bennett
That Sinking Feeling: Stateless Ships, Universal Jurisdiction, and the Drug Trafficking Vessel Interdiction Act
''Yale Journal of International Law'', Volume 37, Issue 2 (2012). Notably, the act provides for

extraterritorial jurisdiction Extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ) is the legal ability of a government to exercise authority beyond its normal boundaries. Any authority can claim ETJ over any external territory they wish. However, for the claim to be effective in the external ...

. The law extended earlier legislation such as the Marijuana on the High Seas Act (MHSA) and Maritime Drug Law Enforcement Act (MDLEA).

Notes

References

* {{Authority control Acts of the 110th United States Congress United States federal admiralty and maritime legislation United States federal criminal legislation United States federal defense and national security legislation United States federal controlled substances legislation