Vessel Bomb Threat a Fake

The Coast Guard completed a safety and security boarding of a foreign-flagged motor-vessel headed into the port of Philadelphia after receiving a threat of a bomb onboard.

At approximately 10 a.m., a pre-deployed boarding team onboard the M/V Cenk Kaptanoglu, a Turkish flagged 611-foot cargo ship, received a bomb threat from a crewmember. The team immediately notified the Captain of the Port of Philadelphia who directed the vessel to turn around and head to the Big Stone Anchorage in the Delaware Bay to await a joint boarding crew consisting of FBI, Coast Guard Investigation Service and a Field Intelligence Support Team to verify the safety and security of the vessel. After a full sweep, no bomb was found onboard the vessel. The disposition of the vessel is still under consideration at this time.

"We take all threats of violence seriously and will do everything in our power to protect the American people. Any threat, no matter how casual, will be completely investigated by ourselves and other law enforcement and security partners," said Cmdr. Spencer L. Wood, acting Captain of the Port of Philadelphia.