Judge.         Johvanny Aybar-Ulloa ("Aybar")

pleaded guilty in 2015 to two counts of drug trafficking in

international   waters    while    aboard   a   "stateless"   vessel   in

violation of the Maritime Drug Law Enforcement Act ("MDLEA"), 46

U.S.C. §§ 70501-08.      He now challenges those convictions on the

ground that Congress lacks the authority under Article I, Section

8, Clause 10 of the United States Constitution to criminalize his

conduct, given that he contends that the conduct for which he was

convicted lacks any nexus to the United States.        Aybar separately

challenges the sentence that he received for those convictions.

For the reasons that follow, we affirmthe convictions but vacate

the sentence.

                                    I.

          At the change of plea hearing, the government described,

and Aybar does not dispute, the following events as having occurred

on August 9, 2013. HMS Lancaster, a foreign warship, was on patrol

in the Caribbean Sea and launched a helicopter that spotted a small

vessel dead in the water.    The vessel was located in international

waters at the time and contained "numerous packages."

          HMS Lancaster launched a small boat in order