The U.S. Coast Guard took a Maltese freighter captain into custody today in Astoria after officials determined his blood-alcohol level was beyond the legal limit and found open containers of alcohol in his stateroom.



Customs agents were already inspecting the 738-foot Laconia, which was preparing to travel up the Columbia River, when Coast Guard officials arrived, said Petty Officer Shawn Eggert of the U.S. Coast Guard. The Customs agents told the Coast Guard team they suspected the unidentified captain was intoxicated "based on their observations while on board."



Coast Guard officials administered two breathalyzer tests, Eggert said, and found the captain's blood-alcohol level was above .04, the legal limit for commercial vessel operators.



Citing an ongoing investigation, Eggert did not say what the captain's blood-alcohol content was.



The man was then removed from the vessel and handed over to the Coast Guard Investigative Service. He will be taken to a federal detention center in Portland sometime Wednesday, Eggert said.



Capt. Bruce Jones credited "coordinated and complimentary efforts" of the agencies involved "in identifying and removing threats to safety and security in our waters."



"The information gathered and shared during both agencies' boardings today was critical in detaining this foreign vessel's master before it proceeded further up the Columbia River," he said in a statement.



The U.S. Attorney's Office and Coast Guard District 13 is handling the investigation.



The Coast Guard also ordered the Laconia to find a replacement captain before departing Astoria.



-- Kate Mather



