On July 12, 2007, the Civil Guard seized the Odyssey Marine Exploration research vessel "Ocean Alert" off the European coast. The Spanish Civil Guard claims to be responsible for customs control and European Union borders in this region, under the EU Schengen Agreement. This, however, is disputed by the Government of Gibraltar and the UK Government who claim that the ship was detained in international waters near Gibraltar and that Spain therefore had no legal authority to board the vessel without the express consent of the flag state of the ship—in this case, Panama. The Gibraltar Government stated that although this was a matter for the Government of Panama, they are "concerned that international shipping using Gibraltar port should be interfered with in this way in international waters." The ship was ordered to sail to the Spanish port of Algeciras to undergo a search and inspection. Issues include the value and cultural significance of the shipwreck and the disputed status of Gibraltar between the UK and Spain. Panama is also involved because Odyssey's vessel is flagged there. In 2010, Odyssey's Captain Sterling Vorus was cleared of all charges by a court in Algeciras, Spain, relating to the blockade and boarding of the "Odyssey Explorer". The Spanish court ruled that Spanish officials did not have proper authorization to board or search Odyssey's ship in 2007.