RedactedNarrative: VESSEL VS. VESSEL COLLISION, DRIFT-FISHING VESSEL STRUCK BY USCG IMPERSONATING VESSEL. CRIMINAL CHARGES FILED. FEDERAL USCG INVESTIGATION PENDING. On Sunday, 01/31/2021, at approximately 1130, OP2 was about a mile west of Wiggins Pass, drift fishing, with my vessel unpowered. I observed what I thought was the USCG approaching me at a slow speed, and believed they were coming to inspect my boat. As he approached, I thought he would come about and tie up to my other side. However, he came at me on the port side, amidships, above Idle but at slow speed not yet on full plane. 
  As he began to collide with me, I observed no one in the driver’s seat at the controls. I yelled to my wife, “It must be a ghost boat!”, as he impacted me. After contact, a male appeared from the back, took the vessel out of gear, reversed propulsion, and apologized. He apologized and said, “I didn’t see anybody out here.” He was not wearing a uniform and was wearing regular clothes, specifically a red tee-shirt and had black/gray salt and pepper hair. His wife was seated in the back of the boat. 
  He continued to apologize, and I saw an Illinois registration sticker and I asked why they were down here. He said he works with USCG Auxiliary out of Wiggins Pass and is stationed at USCG Wilmette, Illinois. He said he was going to “take care of this.”
  Located V-1 stashed in a slip belonging to a recreational charter that was not in use. I photographed my findings. I observed what was clearly identifiable as a six-digit documentation number on both sides, in 4-5’’ white characters. A records check revealed that number assigned to “MV Elizabeth” out of Alaska.
  I photographed a 2021 Illinois registration decal, but the number was rubbed off. I could identify a ghost number which revealed a valid Illinois registration. 
  V-1 was improperly displaying a federal USCG Documentation number – which it is not issued and is an unauthorized number.
  