"We're conducting a murder investigation as a crime on the high seas," said Daniel R. Dzwilewski, special agent in charge of the FBI's Honolulu office. "The investigation continues."

Dzwilewski declined to comment on what evidence led investigators to classify the case as a murder, and declined to provide the motive or sequence of events of what happened.

The FBI is the lead investigative agency and is being assisted by the U.S. Attorney and the Coast Guard, Dzwilewski said. The FBI has ruled out any drug involvement, Dzwilewski said.

The Honolulu Medical Examiner said it has not been contacted to assist with the case. The medical examiner would likely be called if a body was found on the international vessel, said Susan Siu, the city's chief medical investigator.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Elliot Enoki today declined comment on the case. The Coast Guard also declined comment today.

A multi-agency team led by the U.S. Justice Department boarded the Full Means No. 2 yesterday after the Coast Guard received a report of trouble on board the vessel. The vessel was off the Honolulu International Airport reef runway, last night.

A representative from the Taiwan government said her office was notified yesterday by the Coast Guard of trouble on the vessel. Ellen Chen, assistant to the director general of the Taipei Economic Cultural Office in Hawai'i, said when the Coast Guard boarded the Full Means No. 2 yesterday they discovered the captain was missing.

"The captain is our national so we are concerned about that very much," Chen said. She identified the captain as Chen Chung She, and said he is in his 50s.

Chen said the Full Means No. 2 crew is from Mainland China and it is common to have a Taiwanese captain leading such a crew.