Which cutter made the first recorded narcotics seizure by discovering undeclared opium on the US-flagged steamer George E. Starr in the Straits of Juan de Fuca?

• A. USRC Wolcott
• B. USRC Morrill
• C. USRC Jefferson
• D. USRC McCulloch

Answer: (A)

The important idea here is how early maritime law enforcement began policing narcotics at sea and what constitutes the first recorded seizure. In the Straits of Juan de Fuca, the US-flagged steamer George E. Starr was intercepted by a Revenue Cutter Service ship and found to be carrying undeclared opium. The cutter that conducted the boarding and seized the opium was the Wolcott, making this event the first documented narcotics seizure by a U.S.-flagged vessel. This set a historical precedent for future drug interdictions at sea and shows how the cutters’ role expanded beyond smuggling suppression to enforcing narcotics laws. The other cutters listed did not participate in this particular seizure.