Detailed protocols for approaching, hailing, and boarding vessels, ranging from recreational boats to commercial tankers.

This guidebook is the Maritime Law Enforcement Manual (MLEM). For Coast Guard members, legal practitioners, and maritime industry professionals, understanding the MLEM is essential to comprehending how authority is exercised on the water. This article provides a deep dive into the USCG Maritime Law Enforcement Manual, exploring its structure, its role in upholding the "Use of Force" doctrine, the intricacies of vessel boarding, and its critical function in protecting the nation’s maritime borders.

(formerly 14 U.S.C. § 89a). This gives the USCG the power to make inquiries, inspections, searches, seizures, and arrests upon the high seas and waters over which the U.S. has jurisdiction. Jurisdiction: The manual defines jurisdiction as a three-part test: Substantive Law:

Force likely to cause death or serious physical injury; only used in specific life-threatening situations. 3. Conduct of Boarding Operations (Chapter 3)