I do not believe they have the power to make seizures.
In any case, most of the pirates use gear that is substandard and not type accepted. If they were to confiscate, I suspect they would order destruction of the gear.
I did some searching and it seems to be rare, but in the past several years they've seized some pirates equipment a few times after they referred the case to the US Attorney for that district, then the US Attorney got a court order, and the US Marshals were the ones who seized it. The FCC press release documents can still be downloaded from these Internet Archive links:
web.archive.org
Here's the text of it:
Media Contact:
Will Wiquist, (202) 418-0509
[email protected]
For Immediate Release
PIRATE RADIO EQUIPMENT SEIZED
FROM ILLEGAL RADIO STATION IN MANHATTAN
--
WASHINGTON, May 15, 2018—Taking action against a pirate radio operator, Federal Communications Commission agents, in coordination with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and the U.S. Marshals Service, seized radio transmission equipment from an unauthorized radio station on April 10, which was operating illegally in Manhattan. The FCC’s Enforcement Bureau has been leading an effort to crack down on this illegal activity, resulting in unlawful broadcasts going off the air, seizure of equipment, fines against pirates, proposed fines against pirates and property owners actively aiding pirate radio operations, and numerous other enforcement actions.
“Pirate radio stations are illegal, as they operate without an FCC license, and cause real harm. These stations can cause interference to legitimate, licensed broadcasters and can prevent those broadcasters from delivering critical public-safety information to listeners,” said Rosemary Harold, Chief of the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau. “We are pursuing multiple legal routes to stop pirate broadcasters and this seizure action in Manhattan is one of them. We thank our partners in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and the U.S. Marshals Service, and we’re particularly thankful for the great work of FCC field agents in combatting this problem.”
“Rumba FM,” which broadcast on 95.3 FM from a high-rise apartment building in Manhattan, was operating without an FCC license, as required by law. The FCC issued multiple warnings to the illegal operators but the radio station continued to broadcast. Pursuant to a federal court order, authorities seized equipment operated by the illegal radio station at that station’s antenna location on St. Nicholas Avenue in Manhattan.
The Communications Act of 1934 prohibits the operation of radio broadcasting equipment above certain low-intensity thresholds without a license issued by the FCC. The Act authorizes the seizure and forfeiture of any electronic or radio frequency equipment used to broadcast without an FCC license. The number of available radio frequencies is limited, and unlicensed broadcasting can interfere with the broadcasting of legitimate licensed radio stations, potentially causing chaos in the radio spectrum.
In an action to seize a pirate radio station’s equipment, the FCC performs the initial
investigation. Once the FCC has built a case against the station, the matter is referred to the relevant U.S. Attorney’s Office, which is then responsible for filing the case and obtaining a warrant to seize the illegal radio equipment from the court. The U.S. Marshals Service is responsible for executing the warrant and seizing the pirate radio station equipment, with FCC personnel provide technical assistance during the seizure.
###
Office of Media Relations: (202) 418-0500
ASL Videophone: (844) 432-2275
TTY: (888) 835-5322
This is an unofficial announcement of Commission action. Release of the full text of a Commission order
constitutes official action. See MCI v. FCC, 515 F.2d 385 (D.C. Cir. 1974).
This one was from Boston:
web.archive.org
NEWS
Federal Communications Commission
445 12th Street, S.W.
Washington, D. C. 20554
This is an unofficial announcement of Commission action. Release of the full text of a Commission order constitutes official action.
See MCI v. FCC. 515 F 2d 385 (D.C. Circ 1974).
News Media Information 202 / 418-0500
Internet:
http://www.fcc.gov
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: NEWS MEDIA CONTACT:
April 18, 2014 FCC
Mark Wigfield, 202-418-0253
E-mail:
[email protected]
STATEMENT OF TRAVIS LEBLANC, ACTING CHIEF, ENFORCEMENT BUREAU ON
SEIZURE OF BOSTON PIRATE STATIONS
Washington – This week FCC agents and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts seized equipment from three Boston pirate radio operators. Acting FCC Enforcement Bureau Chief
Travis LeBlanc issued this statement:
“Like driving a car, radio broadcasting requires a license, permit, or other government authorization. This week’s seizures by FCC agents and U.S. Marshals ensure that everyone who uses the public airwaves follows the same rules.”
The United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts issued a press release summarizing these enforcement actions. That document can be found at:
www.justice.gov
-FCC-
News about the Federal Communications Commission can also be found
on the Commission’s web site
www.fcc.gov.
