A container ship captain was arrested at Terminal 5 in Seattle on Tuesday after testing more than six times the legal alcohol limit whilst operating a 333-metre commercial vessel.
The Coast Guard arrested the captain of the MSC Jubilee IX following a boarding on August 20. Coast Guard watchstanders at Sector Puget Sound were alerted by a Puget Sound Pilot who reported that the captain appeared intoxicated during transit from an anchorage near Everett to the Port of Seattle.
The pilot and first mate assumed control of the vessel and safely navigated it to its berth without incident, according to officials. After the ship moored at Terminal 5, a Coast Guard boarding team and investigative service conducted a port state control examination.
The captain failed a field sobriety test, and breathalyser results showed a blood-alcohol level exceeding six times the legal limit for commercial mariners. He was taken into custody and booked into King County Jail on suspicion of operating the vessel whilst intoxicated.
The Coast Guard detained the MSC Jubilee IX until a relief captain was identified and confirmed. The vessel has since been cleared to resume operations.
The case has been referred to the King County Prosecutor’s Office for potential boating under the influence charges. “The pilot’s immediate intervention mitigated significant risks and ensured the safe passage of the vessel,” said Paul Shultz, special agent in charge of the Coast Guard Investigative Service Northwest Field Office.
The MSC Jubilee IX sails under the Liberian flag and regularly transits Puget Sound waters as part of international shipping operations. The incident remains under investigation by Coast Guard authorities.
The arrest highlights the critical role of Puget Sound Pilots in maintaining maritime safety, particularly when vessel operators may be impaired and unable to safely navigate the region’s busy shipping channels.
