b"without a Coast Guard Merchant Mariner Cre- In addition, he allegedly forged the signatureand passenger vessel operations in the Mary-dential. Despite being issued a COTP Order toof the seller of the vessel on a Coast Guardland-National Capital Region.cease operations, Garrido continued to operaterequired bill of sale, according to the charges.in commercial passenger service.In Lake Tahoe, which boarders California and TheM/VSpanishPrincesshadanactiveNevada,CoastGuardSectorSanFrancisco COTP Order restricting them from passengerand partner state and local law enforcement A surge operation ranoperations, including the carriage of one orentities ran a surge operation ran from Aug. morepassengers-for-hire,whentheCoast4 to 7, 2022, where Coast Guard investigators from Aug. 4 to 7, 2022,Guard and partner agencies conducted a jointboarded more than 60 boats verifying passen-operation to terminate a charter voyage backger safety, captains licenses, bareboat charter where Coast Guardin May of 2022. The vessel was suspected ofagreements, and drug-and-alcohol testing pro-violating the COTP Order, operating withoutgrams. In addition, the Coast Guard provided investigators boardeda valid Coast Guard Certificate of Inspection,training on legal commercial and recreational operating without a valid credentialed Master,passenger vessel operations to more than 20 more than 60 boats.operating without a valid Certificate of Docu- law enforcement officers and 40 local vessel mentation, and operating without enrollmentoperators. Four vessel operations were termi-Four vessel operationsin a drug and alcohol testing program. nated over the four-day process.were terminated overKEEP REPORTING!Illegalcharteroperationsaredisconnected the four-day process. from the regulatory and safety reach of thePVA continues to stress that if our members Coast Guards Prevention Department, saidsee something that does not look right, wheth-Bruce Davies, Chief of the Investigations Divi- er related to illegal passenger vessel operations sion at Sector Houston-Galveston, followingor something else, to report the information CaptainMatthewThompson,Commanderthe operation. Without the Coast Guardsto their local Coast Guard Sector Command of Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg statedregulatoryoversight,passengerssafetyfallsCenter. Alternatively, CGIS has an app for following the conviction The Coast Guardupon the unqualified or unlicensed operatorsApple and Google smart phones that allows willcontinuetoaggressivelypursuevesselconducting these illegal charters. The Coastanyone to report suspicious or potentially il-operatorswhoneedlesslyplacethelivesofGuard will not accept these unsafe operationslegal activity. You can download the app here. patrons at risk by not complying with CoastandwillcontinuetopursuestatutoryandReports will get investigated. It may take time Guard passenger vessel regulations. He wentregulatory enforcement actions against theseto investigate and build a case, but as illustrat-on to remind the public, We'd like to remindillegal operators. ed above, the Coast Guard is committed to those who charter a boat, they should chooseupholding law and regulation.avesselwithacertifiedcaptainandcrew.If convicted, Johnson faces up to 10 years in Thiscriminalconvictiondemonstratestheprison as well as a possible $250,000 maximum aggressive posture the Coast Guard and ourfine. He could also be ordered to forfeiture the partners from the U.S. Attorneys Office haveM/V Spanish Princess.taken to protect the lives of those who charter passenger vessels. TheCoastGuardInvestigativeService (CGIS)isfirmlycommittedtopartnering M/V SPANISH PRINCESS AND with law enforcement agencies to identify and MORE COTP VIOLATIONS stop those who pose a hazard to the boating Gordon Johnson of Seabrook, Texas is facingpublic, said Special Agent in Charge Brian up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine forJeanfreau,CGISGulfRegion.Ensuring operating an illegal charter cruise near Hous- mariners are fully qualified to safely operate ton, Texas and lying to Coast Guard personnel. passenger vessels is of utmost importance to the U.S. Coast Guard.Mr. Johnson was taken into custody on viola-tion of a Coast Guard COTP Order, makingPARTNERING ANDafalsestatement,obstructionofaproperSURGE OPERATIONScompliance inspection, and forgery of shipsThis past summer, Coast Guard sectors from papers, announced the U.S. Attorney for thecoast to coast engaged in concentrated oper-Southern District of Texas. ations with fellow law enforcement partners to educate the boating public and, in some Johnson allegedly operated the M/V Spanishcases, terminate illegal operations. The Coast Princess in violation of a Sector Houston-Gal- Guard sector in Baltimore, Md., in partner-veston COTP Order. The indictment also al- ship with the Prince George County Police leges he made false statements to Coast GuardDepartmentandtheMetropolitanPolice personnel, claiming he did not have payingDepartmentoftheDistrictofColumbia, passengersonhisvessel,whenheactuallycommenced a summer-long enforcement and did, and instructed passengers to lie by tellingawarenessinitiativecalledOperationPier personneltheywerenotpayingpassengers.Pressure aimed at combating illegal charter 31 DECEMBER 2022"