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Press Release | Feb. 10, 2023

Coast Guard interdicts 2 lancha crews, seizes 600 pounds of illegal fish, shark off Texas coast

Coast Guard PADET Texas - Office: (281) 464-4810 / After Hours: (832) 293-1293

A Coast Guard Station South Padre Island 33-foot Special Purpose Craft–Law Enforcement crew member searches for contraband aboard a lancha seized in federal waters off the southern Texas coast, Feb. 8, 2023. All told, Station South Padre Island crews interdicted two lanchas, seized 600 pounds of red snapper and shark and transferred seven Mexican fishermen to Customs and Border Protection agents for further processing. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Station South Padre Island) A Coast Guard Station South Padre Island 45-foot Response Boat–Medium crew approaches a lancha in federal waters off the southern Texas coast, Feb. 8, 2023. All told, Station South Padre Island crews interdicted two lanchas, seized 600 pounds of red snapper and shark and transferred seven Mexican fishermen to Customs and Border Protection agents for further processing. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Station South Padre Island) A Coast Guard Station South Padre Island 45-foot Response Boat–Medium crew approaches a lancha in federal waters off the southern Texas coast, Feb. 8, 2023. All told, Station South Padre Island crews interdicted two lanchas, seized 600 pounds of red snapper and shark and transferred seven Mexican fishermen to Customs and Border Protection agents for further processing. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Station South Padre Island)

A Coast Guard Air Station Corpus Christi HC-144 Ocean Sentry aircrew tracks a lancha spotted illegally fishing in federal waters off the southern Texas coast, Feb. 8, 2023. The aircrew alerted Coast Guard Station South Padre Island who interdicted two lanchas, seized 1,212 pounds of red snapper and shark and transferred seven Mexican fishermen to Customs and Border Protection agents for further processing. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Air Station Corpus Christi) A Coast Guard Air Station Corpus Christi HC-144 Ocean Sentry aircrew looks on as a Coast Guard Station South Padre Island 45-foot Response Boat–Medium crew approaches a lancha that was spotted illegally fishing in federal waters off the southern Texas coast, Feb. 8, 2023. All told, Station South Padre Island crews interdicted two lanchas, seized 1,212 pounds of red snapper and shark and transferred seven Mexican fishermen to Customs and Border Protection agents for further processing. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Air Station Corpus Christi)

Editors' Note: Click on images to download high-resolution version.

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The Coast Guard interdicted two lancha crews and seized 600 pounds of illegally caught fish and shark in federal waters off southern Texas, Thursday.

Coast Guard Station South Padre Island boatcrews, in coordination with Coast Guard Sector Corpus Christi watchstanders and Coast Guard Air Station Corpus Christi aircrews, located and stopped two lanchas with a total of seven Mexican fishermen engaged in illegal fishing.

After interdicting the lanchas, Coast Guard personnel seized 600 pounds of red snapper and shark, along with fishing gear, radios, GPS devices and high flyers on board. Coast Guard crews detained the Mexican fishermen and transferred them to border enforcement agents for processing.

“Working in unity with our Coast Guard and partner agency counterparts, our crew remains committed and prepared to stop illegal fishing activity off the southern Texas coast,” said Petty Officer 3rd Class James Davis, boarding officer for the case. “Protecting our Nation’s valuable natural resources from foreign intrusions truly is a team effort.”

A lancha is a fishing boat used by Mexican fishermen that is approximately 20-30 feet long with a slender profile, having one outboard motor, and is capable of traveling at speeds exceeding 30 mph. Lanchas are frequently used to transport illegal narcotics to the U.S. and illegally fish in the United States’ Exclusive Economic Zone near the U.S./Mexico border in the Gulf of Mexico.

If you witness suspicious activity or illegal fishing out to 200 miles offshore, please contact the U.S. Coast Guard at 361-939-0450.

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-USCG-