Proper registration and confirmation from the appropriate authorities prior to entry needed
The Office of Commercial Vessel Compliance (CG-CVC) at US Coast Guard headquarters has recently issued a note to all US ocean-certificated vessel Company Security Officers on the subject of the Carriage of Weapons and Port State Notifications for vessels entering ports in Venezuela. The notice applies to Venezuela, but it is worth noting as care needs to be taken globally.
This notice aimed to make CSOs aware of a possible legal consideration when entering ports in Venezuela. This followed on from a situation where a US-flag vessel was detained for possible issues surrounding its carriage of security weapons onboard when calling at the Venezuelan port of Maracaibo. Charges of arms trafficking were implied by the Venezuelan government and the State Department assisted with appropriate consular support to the crew.
Vessels planning to enter Venezuelan ports and carrying security weapons, are advised to ensure proper registration and confirmation from the appropriate Venezuelan Customs authorities prior to entry, and to heed any concerns regarding their carriage by country agents.
Further encouragement is given to reconsider the need to carry weapons on your vessel during port calls in this country. This equally applies in other ports. There are still grey areas and ports may have rules that do not match with the country rules.
Source: US Coast Guard