San Diego

A research ship operated by Scripps Institution of Oceanography that was seized by the U.S Customs Service in late March after a small amount of marijuana was found on board has been released from “constructive seizure,” a Scripps spokesman said Thursday.

The 209-foot Thomas Washington had been operating under that status since its physical release a few days after it was confiscated in Honolulu under the provisions of the Customs Service’s “zero tolerance” anti-drug policy, said Tom Collins, associate director of administration at Scripps. Collins said the status allowed Scripps to operate the vessel while Customs officials investigated the drug violations and decided if any fines would be levied against the research group.

“Basically, they let us use the ship pending the investigation,” Collins said, adding that Scripps was required to inform Customs of the vessel’s whereabouts.

According to Collins, Scripps was not fined by the agency.

George Shor, who is in charge of ships and seagoing services at the institution, said the seven-month constructive seizure posed no real constraints on the operation of the ship, which is now working out of Manzanillo, Mexico, and is scheduled to return to San Diego in December.

However, he expressed dissatisfaction with Customs’ handling of the incident, which began after drug-sniffing dogs discovered a gram of marijuana hidden in a crewman’s birth.

“We have done everything we possibly can to keep drugs off a ship, and if they can think of anything else, we’d be glad to listen,” Shor said.