Cabrera v. United States

*220OPINION

YOCK, Judge.

This action arises from the seizure of the plaintiffs vessel, the M/V El Tiburón, from Mr. Roberto Cabrera-Alvarez on October 27, 1984 by the United States Customs Service after marijuana was found on board in violation of 19 U.S.C. § 1595(a) (1982) and 49 U.S.C. § 781 (1982). The plaintiff seeks to recover the value of the vessel at the time of its seizure because the vessel had been disposed of through administrative forfeiture proceedings by the United States Customs Service. The plaintiff alleges in his complaint that defendant breached a contractual obligation to…