14 U.S.C. § 522 — Law enforcement

(a) The Coast Guard may make inquiries, examinations, inspections, searches, seizures, and arrests upon the high seas and waters over which the United States has jurisdiction, for the prevention, detection, and suppression of violations of laws of the United States. For such purposes, commissioned, warrant, and petty officers may at any time go on board of any vessel subject to the jurisdiction, or to the operation of any law, of the United States, address inquiries to those on board, examine the ship’s documents and papers, and examine, inspect, and search the vessel and use all necessary force to compel compliance. When from such inquiries, examination, inspection, or search it appears that a breach of the laws of the United States rendering an individual liable to arrest is being, or has been committed, by any individual, such individual must be arrested or, if escaping to shore, must be immediately pursued and arrested on shore, or other lawful and appropriate action must be taken; or, if it must appear that a breach of the laws of the United States has been committed so as to render such vessel, or the merchandise, or any part of it, on board of, or brought into the United States by, such vessel, liable to forfeiture, or so as to render such vessel liable to a fine or penalty and if necessary to secure such fine or penalty, such vessel or such merchandise, or both, must be seized. (b) The officers of the Coast Guard insofar as they are engaged, under the authority contained in this section, in enforcing any law of the United States must: (1) be treated as be acting as agents of the particular executive department or independent establishment charged with the administration of the particular law; and (2) be subject to all the rules and regulations promulgated by such department or independent establishment about the enforcement of that law. (c) the rules in this section are in addition to any powers conferred by law upon such officers, and not in limitation of any powers conferred by law upon such officers, or another officers of the United States.