19 U.S.C. § 1703 : US Code - Section 1703: Seizure and forfeiture of vessels

Search 19 U.S.C. § 1703 : US Code - Section 1703: Seizure and forfeiture of vessels

(a) Vessels subject to seizure and forfeiture
Whenever any vessel which shall have been built, purchased,
fitted out in whole or in part, or held, in the United States or
elsewhere, for the purpose of being employed to defraud the revenue
or to smuggle any merchandise into the United States, or to smuggle
any merchandise into the territory of any foreign government in
violation of the laws there in force, if under the laws of such
foreign government any penalty or forfeiture is provided for
violation of the laws of the United States respecting the customs
revenue, or whenever any vessel which shall be found, or discovered
to have been employed, or attempted to be employed, within the
United States for any such purpose, or in anywise in assistance
thereof, or whenever any vessel of the United States which shall be
found, or discovered to have been, employed, or attempted to be
employed at any place, for any such purpose, or is anywise in
assistance thereof, if not subsequently forfeited to the United
States or to a foreign government, is found at any place at which
any such vessel may be examined by an officer of the customs in the
enforcement of any law respecting the revenue, the said vessel and
its cargo shall be seized and forfeited.
(b) "Vessels of the United States" defined
Every vessel which is documented, owned, or controlled in the
United States, and every vessel of foreign registry which is,
directly or indirectly, substantially owned or controlled by any
citizen of, or corporation incorporated, owned, or controlled in,
the United States, shall, for the purposes of this section, be
deemed a vessel of the United States.
(c) Acts constituting prima facie evidence vessel engaged in
smuggling
For the purposes of this section, the fact that a vessel has
become subject to pursuit as provided in section 1581 of this
title, or is a hovering vessel, or that a vessel fails, at any
place within the customs waters of the United States or within a
customs-enforcement area, to display lights as required by law,
shall be prima facie evidence that such vessel is being, or has
been, or is attempted to be employed to defraud the revenue of the
United States.