Seattle: Container Ship Captain Arrested After Sobriety Test

The US Coast Guard Investigative Service (CGIS) has arrested the captain of the 8,814-TEU container ship MSC Jubilee IX for suspicion of operating the vessel while intoxicated following a boarding at Terminal 5 in Seattle, August 20.

Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Puget Sound were notified by a Puget Sound Pilot aboard the MSC Jubilee IX, who reported the vessel’s captain was exhibiting signs of intoxication. The pilot and first mate operated the vessel during the transit from an anchorage near Everett, Wash., to Terminal 5 at the Port of Seattle without incident.

Upon mooring at Terminal 5, a Coast Guard boarding team and CGIS agents initiated a boarding and port state control examination. Crews administered a field sobriety and breathalyzer test to the captain, which found that he was impaired more than six times the legal limit for commercial mariners.  

The captain was arrested and transported by CGIS to the King County Jail, where charges were referred to the King County Prosecutor for boating under the influence.

The Liberia-flagged vessel was detained by the Coast Guard until a relief captain was identified and confirmed. The vessel has since been cleared to resume operations.

The incident remains under investigation.