I bet Ocean Marine shareholders felt sooooo good about flying $70MM in gold back to Spain. After all the stock popped when the find was announced.
The claim that it only applies to warships and that other ships are considered abandoned is utter BS. I never looked into this until recently and the Supreme's ruling could NOT be clearer.
Thus, one of the immunities granted to United States vessels is that they will not be considered abandoned without a clear and affirmative act by the government.
Under the terms of the 1902 Treaty, Spanish vessels can likewise be abandoned only by express renunciation. Both Spain and the United States agree that this treaty provision requires that in our territorial waters Spanish ships are to be accorded the same immunity as United States ships.
What idiot of a CEO would say, let's find it, recover it, and worry about legal rights later?