MLAA
LATEST
"Safer Seas Act and 46 USC § 7704a(b): Commandant Admiral Kevin Lunday, Senator Cantwell, and the Maersk Idaho container ship."

USCG vs. Stinziano

Congress Gave the Coast Guard a Tool to Revoke His License. The Coast Guard Gave It Back to Him Instead.

A federal judge found that Captain Mark Stinziano sexually abused a U.S. Merchant Marine Academy cadet. Congress gave the Coast Guard a tool to revoke his license. Instead, the Coast Guard gave it back to him.

MLAA StaffMAY 24, 2026
MARITIME ACCOUNTABILITY

Maritime Legal Aid & Advocacy (MLAA).

§

Giving a voice to victims of harassment and abuse at sea.

§

Holding the maritime industry accountable through investigative journalism, federal FOIA litigation, and resources for mariners harmed at sea.

FOUNDED 2020 · 501(C)(3) · MIDSHIPMAN-X · SAFER SEAS ACT · OPERATION FOULED ANCHOR · THE FIGHT CONTINUESFOUNDED 2020 · 501(C)(3) · MIDSHIPMAN-X · SAFER SEAS ACT · OPERATION FOULED ANCHOR · THE FIGHT CONTINUESFOUNDED 2020 · 501(C)(3) · MIDSHIPMAN-X · SAFER SEAS ACT · OPERATION FOULED ANCHOR · THE FIGHT CONTINUESFOUNDED 2020 · 501(C)(3) · MIDSHIPMAN-X · SAFER SEAS ACT · OPERATION FOULED ANCHOR · THE FIGHT CONTINUESFOUNDED 2020 · 501(C)(3) · MIDSHIPMAN-X · SAFER SEAS ACT · OPERATION FOULED ANCHOR · THE FIGHT CONTINUESFOUNDED 2020 · 501(C)(3) · MIDSHIPMAN-X · SAFER SEAS ACT · OPERATION FOULED ANCHOR · THE FIGHT CONTINUESFOUNDED 2020 · 501(C)(3) · MIDSHIPMAN-X · SAFER SEAS ACT · OPERATION FOULED ANCHOR · THE FIGHT CONTINUESFOUNDED 2020 · 501(C)(3) · MIDSHIPMAN-X · SAFER SEAS ACT · OPERATION FOULED ANCHOR · THE FIGHT CONTINUESFOUNDED 2020 · 501(C)(3) · MIDSHIPMAN-X · SAFER SEAS ACT · OPERATION FOULED ANCHOR · THE FIGHT CONTINUESFOUNDED 2020 · 501(C)(3) · MIDSHIPMAN-X · SAFER SEAS ACT · OPERATION FOULED ANCHOR · THE FIGHT CONTINUES

We Built a Searchable Public Docket for the Coast Guard’s Merchant Mariner Court.

The MLAA Administrative Law Judge Docket is the first public-facing tool to track disciplinary actions, license suspensions, and civil penalties within the maritime sector.

Browse full docket →

Recent Investigations

WHISTLEBLOWER TESTIMONY

First-hand accounts of misconduct and accountability failures in the maritime industry.

U.S. Merchant Marine Academy · Sept 27, 2021

I Was a 19-Year-Old Virgin When I Was Raped by a 60+ Year-Old 1st Engineer Aboard a Maersk Ship During Sea Year.

By Midshipman-X

In our class of approximately 50 women, I know of at least 5 women who were forcibly raped during Sea Year. And I am one of them.
Read the full account →
U.S. Coast Guard · Jun 9, 2024

The Coast Guard Used Me to Lie to Victims of Sexual Assault at the Coast Guard Academy as Part of Their Operation Fouled Anchor Cover-up. I Can No Longer Be Part of This System.

By Shannon Norenberg, former U.S. Coast Guard Academy Sexual Assault Response Coordinator

We weren't sent out there to help these people. We were sent out there as part of an elaborate cover-up of Operation Fouled Anchor designed to hide the existence of the investigation from Congress and the public.
Read the full account →
U.S. Navy · Sept 2, 2024

I Am a Surface Warfare Officer for the United States Navy and I'm Blowing the Whistle on Our Toxic Work Culture.

By a U.S. Navy Surface Warfare Officer

The biggest myth in the Navy SWO community is that keeping silent while your chain of command terrorizes you makes you tough and resilient — that by enduring it, you're a true SWO. No, it makes you a fucking coward.
Read the full account →

Have a story to share? Submit your testimony or inquire about publishing your account.

SUBMIT YOUR STORY

Know Your Rights

Coming Soon
CONFIDENTIAL

Got something we should know?

Our investigations depend on courageous individuals sharing what they know. All tips are handled with extreme confidentiality and can be submitted anonymously.

DIRECT LINETIPS@MARITIMELEGALAID.ORGAdditional secure channels coming soon.