United States v. Ramon Antonio Lopez and Carlos Abraham Gomez

I. STATEMENT OF THE CASE

A. The Facts

On May 3, 1983, a Coast Guard vessel sighted the C & E, the ship on which appel-*634lees were travelling, heading toward the Florida Coast. Approaching the C & E to make a document and safety search, Coast Guard Officer Garza noticed that the vessel was riding low in the water, as if it were carrying heavy cargo. When he boarded the C & E, Garza discovered there were only two persons aboard: Lopez, the master, who spoke no English; and Gomez, the crew, who had some facility with the language and served as interpreter. Garza requested the registration of the…