International Maritime Law Enforcement Operations (IMLEO)

International maritime law enforcement operations are US Coast Guard activities that build partner-nation capacity and conduct cooperative boardings and patrols abroad, typically under bilateral agreements and shiprider arrangements that let Coast Guard law-enforcement detachments (LEDETs) embark on partner or US Navy vessels. The Coast Guard’s enforcement authority on US-jurisdiction waters comes from 14 U.S.C. 522; overseas constabulary action relies on flag-state consent, bilateral counter-drug and fisheries agreements, and UN Security Council mandates. LEDETs aboard Navy ships supply the law-enforcement legal authority the Navy itself lacks under the Posse Comitatus framework.