Opinion ID: 4503119
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Coast Guard’s Detection of the Go-Fast Vessel

Text: On the night of October 24, 2016, the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Hamilton was patrolling in the eastern Pacific Ocean at 10 degrees latitude and 91 degrees longitude, which was approximately 200 miles off the coast of Central America, namely Guatemala and El Salvador. During the patrol, around 9:05 p.m., a Coast Guard marine patrol aircraft notified the Hamilton cutter that it had detected a gofast vessel (“GFV”) that was traveling northbound at a high rate of speed and was approximately six nautical miles away from the cutter. 4 The target GFV was 30-to-35 feet long, had two outboard engines, and was carrying three passengers on board. GFVs, also known as a “Panga” or “Pangastyle” vessels, are small vessels designed to cut through the water with less friction so that they can travel at higher speeds. GFVs are low-profile and have a very 3 While there were two jury trials, the first resulted in a mistrial. The facts we recount are based on the evidence from the second jury trial. 4 Coast Guard personnel testified that, while at sea, they use an international military unit of time called “Zulu.” While it was 9:05 p.m. on October 24, local time when the Coast Guard aircraft contacted the Hamilton cutter, under Zulu time it was 2:05 a.m. on October 25. To avoid confusion, we will refer to local time. 3 Case: 17-14294 Date Filed: 01/30/2020 Page: 4 of 97 different shape, style, and speed than a fishing boat. Drug smugglers commonly use GFVs to transport drugs and travel at night without navigation lights to avoid detection. After being notified of the GFV, the Hamilton crew met for a briefing in the cutter’s Combat Information Center (“CIC”). The CIC was equipped with a Forward-Looking Infrared Radar (“FLIR”) system and various other radars that enabled the Coast Guard to monitor nighttime vessel activity on the high seas. The FLIR system uses heat-based infrared detection to create a video in black (the objects emitting more heat) and white (the objects emitting less heat) depicting the activities or objects being monitored. The FLIR system allowed the Coast Guard to see vessels, passengers, and any jettisoned objects at night. Generally speaking, Coast Guard members in the CIC stay in contact with all other Hamilton units throughout interdictions and keep them updated on the course and distance of target vessels. The three Hamilton units included (1) a helicopter, (2) an over-the-horizon (“OTH”) vessel, and (3) a long-range interceptor (“LRI”) vessel. The helicopter also was equipped with a FLIR monitoring system that recorded its observations on video too. The OTH vessel was equipped with search lights, radar, and weapons. The crew on these Hamilton units were equipped with and used night-vision goggles. After the CIC briefing, the Hamilton crew decided to dispatch all three 4 Case: 17-14294 Date Filed: 01/30/2020 Page: 5 of 97 units—the helicopter, OTH vessel, and LRI vessel—to intercept the target GFV. At launch time, it was very dark due to lack of moonlight, but the weather and sea conditions were calm and without wind.