United States v. Villamonte-Marquez

Congress has provided that “[a]ny officer of the customs may at any time go on board of any vessel... at any place in the United States . . . and examine the manifest and other documents and papers . . . and to this end may hail and stop such vessel . . . and use all necessary force to compel compliance.” 46 Stat. 747, as amended, 19 U. S. C. § 1581(a).1 We are asked to decide whether the Fourth Amendment is offended when customs officials, acting pursuant to this *581statute and without any suspicion of wrongdoing, board for inspection of documents a vessel that is located in waters providing…