Tag Archives: U.S. Customs and Border Protection
U.S. Customs and Border Patrol wins one against American fish-shipping companies for violating antiquated Jones Act
Two seafood shipping companies have settled a lawsuit challenging penalties and fines levied by U.S. Customs and Border Protection for violating the Jones Act, a more than 100-year old law requiring merchandise be transported by U.S. flagged vessels between U.S. ports. An exception to the U.S. flagged vessel requirement allows seafood from Alaska to be transported to the mainland U.S. if it travels via Canadian rail. The companies challenged the penalties and fines in the U.S. District Court of Alaska, saying they did not violate the Jones Act while transporting seafood from Alaska to the mainland U.S. because it was “transported” by Canadian rail.A settlement agreement was finalized between the companies and the U.S. in January. The agreement requires KIF and ARM to pay $9.5 million to the U.S. The companies also stopped using the BCR to transport seafood to the U.S. after this ruling. more, >>click to read<< 13:07
U.S. Shipowners Back Jones Act Penalties for “Canadian Rail” Scheme
ASC and its logistics affiliate Alaska Reefer Management have access to a 100-foot-long “railway” in New Brunswick, Canada, which they use as part of a foreign-flag shipping route between two U.S. markets. Last month, U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Jones Act enforcement office issued penalties totaling about $350 million dollars to the firms involved in this novel supply network, including tens of millions in fines for foreign-flag shipowners. The action has effectively halted ASC shipments of pollock to East Coast customers, and ASC says that the shutdown threatens to cause significant harm to its business, along with regional shortages of pollock, an affordable staple for schools, institutions and government nutrition programs. ARM and terminal subsidiary Kloosterboer have filed suit against CBP, seeking to block the penalties. Video, >click to read< 07:41
American Seafood Corp. Fights Giant Jones Act Penalties
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has stirred up a storm in the Alaska pollock fishery by issuing Jones Act penalty notices totaling about S350 million. According to a lawsuit filed by an affiliate of factory trawler giant American Seafoods Corporation, the fines could raise the price of pollock and even lead to shortages in the eastern U.S., the region affected by the enforcement action. Through the operations of its Alaska Reefer Management affiliate, American Seafoods routinely delivers Alaskan fish to customers on the U.S. Eastern Seaboard using chartered foreign-flag vessels. These ships are loaded in Dutch Harbor, then transit through the Panama Canal and around the East Coast to the port of Bayside, Canada. At Bayside, the cargo is offloaded into truck trailers for delivery to the Eastern United States. >click to read< 09:18
East Naples boat captain accused of smuggling immigrants in Florida Keys
An East Naples charter boat captain arrested Sunday off the Florida Keys faces human smuggling charges. Federal agents said they found 11 people from three Caribbean countries below deck on his boat. None of the 11 were U.S. citizens, agents said. U.S. Customs and Border Protection air and marine officers said they were on patrol in Tavernier Creek about 3 p.m. Sunday when they came across Richard Karl Mork’s disabled boat and two personal watercraft approaching the boat with two gas cans. Officers boarded the boat about 3:30 p.m. and found 11 passengers, including two unaccompanied minors, below deck, according to a criminal complaint filed by the Homeland Security Department in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. The vessel, named “Scout,” was found about 2 nautical miles from Tavernier, south of Key Largo. Read the story here 21:15
U.S. Customs and Border Protection: Foreign Fishermen Have No Complaints Working On US longline vessels
Federal officials said Thursday they have interviewed dozens of foreign crew members who work on U.S. commercial fishing boats since allegations of labor abuses surfaced, but haven’t found much beyond a few cockroaches. “They had an opportunity to talk to us freely,” said Ferdie Jose, supervisory officer for the U.S. Customs and Border Protection. “They didn’t voice any complaints.” Jose made the statement at what has traditionally been a private quarterly meeting among commercial fishing vessel owners, law enforcement officers and state and federal officials. It was a marked contrast to one held just a day earlier at the state Capitol, where legislators grilled state officials and fishing industry leaders for nearly three hours in an effort to find ways to improve the working conditions for foreign crew members. Read the story here 09:02
Busted! 20 kilos of cocaine discovered stashed inside of frozen fish.
The fish tale began May 4 when U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers seized an air cargo shipment of “large, frozen fish” from Suriname at Miami International Airport, according to U.S. Homeland Security special agent Ryan Varrone. Agents filleted the fish and removed the cocaine, which has a street value of about $600,000, according to authorities.The fish was replaced in the shipping boxes and transported by truck to a storage facility in Queens which was kept under surveillance, Varrone’s complaint states. Daniels, 32, and Gonsalves, 33, showed up at the warehouse on Friday in a white van. They picked up the boxes and drove to another storage facility in Brooklyn where they were arrested,,, Read the rest here 09:29
US Customs seizes bladders from endangered fish being shipped from Venezuela to China
U.S. officials in Puerto Rico have seized a load of fish bladders taken from an endangered species and stuffed inside packages that were shipped from Venezuela and destined for Hong Kong. Officers with U.S. Customs and Border Protection have seized 1,328 pounds of totoaba fish bladders. The swim bladders from the fish indigenous to Mexico’s Gulf of California are prized by chefs in China. The parcels with the bladders were labeled as “organic plastic samples.” Customs officials turned them over to the NOAA. Read the rest here 07:41
