Drug Trafficking Vessel Interdiction Act

The Drug Trafficking Vessel Interdiction Act of 2008,, was an act of the United States Congress outlawing operation of or travel in unregistered submersibles and semi-submersibles in international waters with the intent to evade detection.

The act was enacted to combat the use of illicit self-propelled semi-submersible and submersible vessels in international drug trafficking (see narco-submarine). Notably, the act provides for extraterritorial jurisdiction. The law extended earlier legislation such as the Marijuana on the High Seas Act (MHSA) and Maritime Drug Law Enforcement Act (MDLEA).