The captain of the container ship MSC Jubilee IX in Seattle was arrested by the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service (CGIS) on suspicion of operating the vessel while intoxicated last week.
The arrest came after a Puget Sound Pilot reported that the captain had shown signs of intoxication during a transit to Terminal 5 on August 20, according to a press release issued by the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Saturday.
Newsweek reached out to the UCCG and MSC for comment via email Sunday afternoon as well as the KCPO for information on court appearances.
Why It Matters
The captain’s arrest raised immediate safety and regulatory concerns for commercial shipping in U.S. waters including the size of such ships and the precision required to take them into port.
Industry rules set strict alcohol limits for commercial mariners; exceeding them by multiple times heightens the risk of collision, grounding or other maritime incidents during transit and docking.
Shipping containers have also been a point of focus as the tariffs issued by the Trump administration on foreign goods have decreased the flow of items into ports including Seattle.
What To Know
Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Puget Sound were alerted by a Puget Sound Pilot aboard the MSC Jubilee IX that the ship’s captain was displaying signs of intoxication during a transit from an anchorage near Everett to Terminal 5 in Seattle.
The pilot and the ship’s first mate navigated the vessel to the terminal without incident, the release said.
A Coast Guard team boarded the ship and CGIS agents administered a field sobriety test and a breathalyzer test on the pier.
Those tests showed that the captain was more than six times the commercial mariner legal limit for alcohol, according to the release. The captain was arrested and transported to the King County Jail with charges being referred to the King County Prosecutor for boating under the influence.
The ship was held until a relief captain was appointed and confirmed before being cleared to resume operations.
The MSC Jubilee IX is over 1,000 feet long and over 134 feet wide. It operates under the Liberian flag and left Seattle on August 22 following the incident.
The ship is off the waters of Port Rupert Canada as of Sunday afternoon, according to Marinetraffic.com.
What People Are Saying
Paul Shultz, Special Agent in Charge, CGIS Northwest Field Office, said: “The Coast Guard is proud to ensure the safety and security of the maritime transportation system. The Pilot’s immediate intervention mitigated significant risks and ensured the safe passage of the vessel.”
What Happens Next?
The Coast Guard and CGIS will continue their probe into the circumstances that led to the pilot’s intervention and the captain’s alleged intoxication.
The post Container Ship Captain Arrested for Allegedly Boating Under the Influence appeared first on Newsweek.
