Blueseed needs to tread carefully here. While 12 miles is generally safe for most activities, there's a 'contiguous zone' beyond 12 nautical miles extending up to 24 nautical miles where a coastal state may "exercise the control necessary to: (a) prevent infringement of its customs, fiscal, immigration or sanitary laws and regulations within its territory or territorial sea; (b) punish infringement of the above laws and regulations committed within its territory or territorial sea."[1]
While 24 nautical miles is the upper boundary per international treaties, coastal states are free to adopt a contiguous zone less than 24 miles (such as to respect other coastal states' boundaries). In 1999, however, the United States announced that it was extending its contiguous zone to 24 nautical miles to protect against the infringements mentioned above.[2]
Comments
Blueseed needs to tread carefully here. While 12 miles is generally safe for most activities, there's a 'contiguous zone' beyond 12 nautical miles extending up to 24 nautical miles where a coastal state may "exercise the control necessary to: (a) prevent infringement of its customs, fiscal, immigration or sanitary laws and regulations within its territory or territorial sea; (b) punish infringement of the above laws and regulations committed within its territory or territorial sea."[1]
While 24 nautical miles is the upper boundary per international treaties, coastal states are free to adopt a contiguous zone less than 24 miles (such as to respect other coastal states' boundaries). In 1999, however, the United States announced that it was extending its contiguous zone to 24 nautical miles to protect against the infringements mentioned above.[2]
[1] http://www.un.org/depts/los/convention_agreements/texts/uncl... Sec. 4, Art. 33.
[2] http://clinton4.nara.gov/CEQ/990902a.html