FILED U.S. COURT OF AP P E A LS E LE V EN T HC IRC U IT SEPT 15 , 2006 THOMAS K. KAH

N CLERK [ DO NO T P UB L I S H] I N THE UN I TE D STATE S C OU RT OF APPE ALS F O R T H E E L E V E N T H C IR C U IT

________________________ N o. 06- 10047 N on -A rgum entC al endar

________________________ D . C. D o c k e tN o . 0 4 - 0 0 3 3 6 - CR- T- 1 7 M SS U N I T E D S T A T E S O F A M E R I C A , P la in tif f - A p p e lle e , v ersu s J O R G E N A U N A G U I L A R , D e f e n d a n t- A p p e lla n t.

________________________ A pp ea l fr om the U ni t ed S t at es D i stri ctC ou rt f orthe M i ddl e D i s tr i c tof F l or i da

_________________________ ( S e p t e m b e r 15, 2006) B efo re M A R C U S , W IL S O N an d P R Y O R , C i rcu i tJu d g es. P E R C U R I A M: J o r g e N a u n A g u ila rap p e a ls h is c o n v ic tio n s f o rc o n s p ir a c y to p o s s e s s w ith2

the i nt entt o d i stri bu t e f i ve ki l og ra m s or m ore of c ocai ne w hi l e on b oard a ves se l s ubj e c tt o the j ur i s di c t i on of the U ni t e d S t a t e s , 46 U . S . C . § 1903( a ) , ( g) , ( j ) ; 21 U . S . C . § 960( b) ( 1) ( B ) ( i i ) , a nd pos s e s s i on w i th i nt e ntt o di s tr i but e f i ve ki l ogr a m s or m ore of c ocai ne w hi l e on b oard a ves se l subj ec tt o the j uri sdi ct i on of the U ni t ed S t at es , 46 U . S . C . § 1 90 3(a) , (g); 21 U . S . C . § 9 60 (b)( 1)(B )( i i ). A gu i l arar gu es that ( 1) the di s tr i c tc our te rr e d w he n i tde ni e d hi s m ot i on t o s uppr e s s e vi de nc e , ( 2) the U ni t e d S t a t e s C oa s tG ua r d c onduc t e d a n unc ons t i tut i ona l s e a r c h a nd s e i z ur e , a nd (3) the di stri ctcourtabused i t s di sc re t i on by denyi ng hi s m ot i on t o d i sm i ss for l ac k o f ju r is d ic tio n . W e a f

f ir m . O n Jul y 19, 20 04 , the U ni t ed S t at es C oastG uard i nt er ce pt ed the M i ss M ery H i l l , a ves se l sa i l i ng un der the H on du ra n fl ag. T he C oastG uard bo ar ded t he vess el and d i sc ov er ed 64 bal es of cocai ne thatw ei gh ed 15 36 ki l og ra m s. A gu i l arw as a rr e s te d a s a c r e w m e m b e ra n d c h a r g e d w ith c o n s p ir a c y to p o s s e s s w ith in te n t to di stri bu t e c ocai ne w hi l e on b oard a ves se l subj ec tt o the j uri sdi ct i on of the U ni t ed S t a t e s , 46 U . S . C . § 1903( a ) , ( g) , ( j ) ; 21 U . S . C . § 960( b) ( 1) ( B ) ( i i ) , a nd pos s e s s i on w i th i nt e ntt o di s tr i but e c oc a i ne w hi l e on boa r d a ve s s e l s ubj e c tt o the j ur i s di c t i on o f th e U n ite d S ta te s , 4 6 U .S .C . § 1 9 0 3 ( a ) , ( g ) ; 2 1 U .S .C . § 9 6 0 ( b ) ( 1 ) ( B ) ( ii) . T he go vernm entm ov ed for pre- tri al det erm i nat i on of j uri sdi ct i on . In supp ortof i t s m ot i on , the go vernm entsubm i tt ed a c ert i fi ca t i on fr om a des i gn ee of3

the S e c r e t a ry of

S t a t e . T he c e r t i f

i c a t i on s t a t e d the C oa s tG ua r d ha d not i f i e d the H on du ra n g ov ernm entof the se ar ch of the M i ss M ery H i l l , bu tthe H on du ra n gove rnm e ntha d w a i ve d i t s r i ghtt o e xe r c i s e j ur i s di c t i on a nd pe r m i tt e d the enforce m entof U ni t ed S t at es l aw ov erthe vess el and t he cr ew . T he di stri ctcourt grant ed the go vernm ent ’ s m ot i on and fou nd thatthe M i ss M ery H i l l w as a “ vess el s u b je c t to th e ju r is d ic tio n o f th e U n ite d S ta te s .” 2 1 U .S .C . § 9 6 0 ( b ) ( 1 ) ( B ) ( ii) . A gu i l arm ov ed t o sup pres s e vi dence found on bo ar d the vess el . A gu i l ar ar gu ed thatthe M i ss M ery H i l l w as no tsubj ec tt o the j uri sdi ct i on of the U ni t ed S t at es and t he C oastG uard di d n othave a re as on abl e s uspi ci on thatthe vess el vi ol at ed U ni t ed S t at es l aw . B as ed on the fi nd i ng s by the m agi stra t e j ud ge af t eran evi dent i ary hea ri ng , the di stri ctcourtdeni ed the m ot i on . A gu i l arthen ent er ed an un cond i t i on al gu i l ty pl ea . A g u ila ra r g u e s b o th th a t th e d is tr ic t c o u r t e rr e d w h e n it d e n ie d h is m o tio n to supp re ss and t he se ar ch of the M i ss M ery H i l l w as un const i tut i on al , bu tA gu i l ar ent er ed an un cond i t i on al gu i l ty pl ea . W e r evi ew de no vo w hether avo l un t ary un cond i t i on al gu i l ty pl eaw ai ves the abi l i ty t o app ea l the rul i ng s on p re -tri al m o t i o n s . Un i t e d S t a t e s v . P a tt i , 3 3 7 F . 3 d 1 3 1 7 , 1 3 2 0 n . 4 ( 1 1 th C i r . 2 0 0 3 ) . “ [ A] vol unt a ry , unc ondi t i ona l gui l ty pl e a w a i ve s a l l nonj ur i s di c t i ona l de f e c t s i n the p r o c e e d in g s .” I d . a t 1 3 2 0 . A g u ila rw a iv e d h is r ig h t to ap p e a l b o th th e d e n ia l o f h is4

m ot i on t o sup pres s a nd the l egal i ty of the se ar ch of the M i ss M ery H i l l . S ee U ni t ed S t at es v. M cC oy, 47 7 F . 2d 55 0, 55 1 (5 C i r. 19 73 ); U ni t ed S t at es v. S epe, th 4 7 4 F .2 d 7 8 4 , 7 8 7

– 8 8 ( 5 C ir . 1 9 7 3 ) . th A gui l a ra l s o c ont e nds tha tthe di s tr i c tc our tl a c ke d j ur i s di c t i on be c a us e the M i ss M ery H i l l w as no tsubj ec tt o the j uri sdi ct i on of the U ni t ed S t at es , bu tA gu i l ar a ls o w a iv e d th is a r g u m e n t. A s w e e x p la in e d , “a v o lu n ta ry , u n c o n d itio n a l g u ilty pl eaw ai ves a l l no nj uri sdi ct i on al defe ct s i n the proceedi ng s. ” P att i , 33 7 F . 3d at 1320. U nde rthe M a r i t i m e D rug L a w E nf or c e m e ntA c t , “ [ i ] ti s unl a w f ul f ora ny p erso n . . . o n b o ard a v essel su b j ectt o th e j u ri sd i ct i o n o f th e U n i t ed S t at es” know i ngl y t o pos s e s s w i th the i nt e ntt o di s tr i but e a c ontr ol l e d s ubs t a nc e . 46 U . S . C . § 1 90 3(a) . B ec ause the i nd i ctm entchar ged A gu i l arw i th a vi ol at i on of a l a w of the U ni t e d S t a t e s , “ the di s tr i c tc our t[ ha d] j ur i s di c t i on ove rthe c a s e a nd e m pow e r [ e d] i tt o rul e on the s uf f i c i e nc y of

the i ndi c tm e nt . ” U ni t e d S t a t e s v. M c C o y , 2 6 6 F .3 d 1 2 4 5 , 1 2 5 2 n .1 1 ( 1 1 th C ir . 2 0 0 1 ) . A gui l a r ’ s a r gum e nttha tthe M i s s M e ry H i l l w a s nots ubj e c tt o the j ur i s di c t i on of

the U ni t e d S t a t e s i s nota c ha l l e nge t o the s ubj e c tm a tt e rj ur i s di c t i on of the di stri ctcourt . A gu i l ari nst ea d chal l enges the fi nd i ng of the di stri ctcourtthat th e C o a s t G u a r d c o m p lie d w ith th e M a r itim e D ru g L a w E n f o r c e m e n t A c t to e s t a bl i s h tha tthe M i s s M e ry H i l l w a s a “ ve s s e l s ubj e c tt o the j ur i s di c t i on of the5

U ni t e d S t a t e s . ” 46 U . S . C . § 1903( a ) . B e c a us e thi s a r gum e ntdoe s notc ha l l e nge the s ubj e c tm a tt e rof

the di s tr i c tc our t , A gui l a rw a i ve d thi s a r gum e ntw he n he p le a d e d g u ilty u n c o n d itio n a lly . S e e P a tti, 3 3 7 F .3 d a t 1 3 2 0 . A gu i l ar ’ s c on vi ct i on s a re AF F I RME D.