Maritime Drug Law Enforcement Act

MDLEA

Menu
  • MDLEA
    • § 70501 – Findings and Declarations
    • § 70502 – Definitions
    • § 70503 – Prohibited acts
    • § 70504 – Jurisdiction and Venue
    • § 70505 – Failure to comply with international law as a defense
    • § 70506 – Penalties
    • § 70507 – Forfeitures
    • § 70508 – Operation of submersible vessel or semi-submersible vessel without nationality
  • Related Laws
    • 14 U.S.C. § 522 – Law Enforcement
    • 21 U.S.C. § 952 – Importation of controlled substances
    • 21 U.S.C. § 955 – Possession on board vessel
    • 18 U.S.C. § 3553(f) – Safety Valve Provision
  • International Law
    • UNCLOS
      • Preamble
      • Part I – Intro
      • Part II – TS and CZ
      • Part III – Int’l Straits
      • Part IV – Archipelagic
      • Part V – EEZ
      • Part VI – CS
      • Part VII – High Seas
      • Part VIII – Islands
      • Part IX – Enclosed Seas
      • Part X – Land-locked
      • Part XVI – General
      • Signatories
    • 1988 Convention
    • Other Maritime Treaties & Agreements
  • Blog Posts
  • Full Decisions
  • Other
    • Advertise
    • Donate
    • Contact
Menu

UNCLOS – Part VIII

PART VIII
REGIME OF ISLANDS

Article 121
Regime of islands

1. An island is a naturally formed area of land, surrounded by water, which is above water at high tide.

2. Except as provided for in paragraph 3, the territorial sea, the contiguous zone, the exclusive economic zone and the continental shelf of an island are determined in accordance with the provisions of this Convention applicable to other land territory.

3. Rocks which cannot sustain human habitation or economic life of their own shall have no exclusive economic zone or continental shelf.

Recent Blog Posts

  • The 5th Circuit Weighs in on Determining Jurisdiction Before Change of Plea
  • Florida Court Rules that MDLEA Can Snare Drug Traffickers Who Never Set Sail
  • Supreme Court Denies Davila-Reyes Defendants’ Petition
  • District of Puerto Rico Addresses Jurisdiction for a Third Time in U.S. v. Thomas Chalwell
  • Happy Fourth of July!

Latest Decisions

  • United States v. Velez-Acosta, No. 22-13528, 2024 WL 806537 (11th Cir. Feb. 27, 2024)
  • U.S. v. Osvaldo Gonzalez, No. 22-cr-20350-ALTMAN, 2023 WL 4580901 (S.D.Fla. July 18, 2023)
  • U.S. v. Barbosa-Rodriguez, — F.Supp.3d —-, 2023 WL 4230143 (D.P.R. June 28, 2023)
  • U.S. v. Mariani-Romero, et al., No. 22-313 (FAB), 2022 WL 20184569 (D.P.R. June 22, 2023)
  • U.S. v. Iona-Dejesus, No. 22-20473-CR, 2023 WL 3980082 (S.D. Fla. May 4, 2023)

Disclaimer

This blog is written by an attorney employed by the U.S. Government. However, all views expressed on this website are mine and should not be construed as the views of the U.S. Government, including the U.S. Coast Guard.

©2025 Maritime Drug Law Enforcement Act