46 U.S.C. § 70506 — Penalties

(a) A person violating section 70503(a)(1) is punished under section 1010 of the cited drug-control Act. A second or later offense, as defined in that Act, is punished under section 1012. (b) An attempt or conspiracy to violate section 70503 has the same penalties as the violation. (c)(1) After notice and a hearing opportunity, the Secretary may find that a person aboard a vessel^* subject to United States jurisdiction knowingly or intentionally possessed a controlled substance under the Controlled Substances Act. The person then owes a civil penalty of up to $5,000 for each violation, and the Secretary must give written notice of the amount. (2) The Secretary must consider the conduct’s nature, circumstances, extent, and seriousness; the person’s blameworthiness, prior offenses, ability to pay, and other matters justice requires. (3) The assessment is not a conviction under State^* or Federal law, but may prove possession when relevant. (d) A person violating section 70503(a)(2) or (3) may be fined under section 3571 of title 18, imprisoned for up to 15 years, or both.