Sea marshal is an internationally recognized term to describe armed law enforcement officers who board, sweep, search, protect, escort, and maintain control of vessels to prevent hijacking or acts of terrorism. In the United States of America, a sea marshal (more recently renamed "boarding officer") is a federal law enforcement officer who conducts fully armed boardings of maritime vessels for the purposes of ensuring the security and safety of the United States as well as the boarded ship, its cargo, and crew. Sea marshals/boarding officers operate under the jurisdiction of the United States Coast Guard within the US Department of Homeland Security.