Ukrainian cargo ship captain arrested for piloting massive container vessel into Seattle while drunk

On Tuesday morning, the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office charged Oleh Danylin, 48, with Operation of a Vessel While Under the Influence, a gross misdemeanor under Washington law.

According to court documents obtained by The Ari Hoffman Show on Talk Radio 570 KVI, the incident unfolded on August 20, 2025, when the MSC Jubilee IX arrived at Terminal 5 in Seattle. A Puget Sound pilot assigned to guide the ship through local waters reported smelling alcohol on Captain Danylin and alerted the US Coast Guard.

When Coast Guard officers boarded the vessel, Danylin denied drinking and claimed the odor was from mouthwash. He agreed to field sobriety tests but performed so poorly that officers stopped them early for his safety. A preliminary breath test registered a 0.241 BAC, three times the legal limit. Later testing conducted by the Washington State Patrol confirmed blood alcohol levels of 0.253 and 0.254.

Danylin was arraigned in King County District Court, where he entered a plea of not guilty. The judge released him on personal recognizance but ordered him to surrender his passport to the US Coast Guard and barred him from operating any vessel while the case is pending.

While most DUI cases in King County are prosecuted at the city level, the county prosecutor’s office has jurisdiction over certain waterways. Officials emphasized the seriousness of this case, pointing to the risks posed by operating a cargo vessel of this size while impaired.

“This isn’t just a weekend boater,” one filing noted. “A single miscalculation could have put lives, property, and critical shipping lanes in danger.”

If convicted, Danylin faces up to 364 days in jail and a $5,000 fine. The next court date is a pre-trial hearing scheduled for 2:30 pm on Aug. 27, and a routine pre-trial session is set for September 27. Prosecutors have requested a jury trial.