CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The Coast Guard interdicted three lanchas and seized approximately 2,200 pounds of illegally caught fish in federal waters off southern Texas, Sunday.
Coast Guard Station South Padre Island boat crews in coordination with Coast Guard Sector Corpus Christi watch standers, Coast Guard Air Station Corpus Christi aircrews, and partner agencies located and stopped a total of 19 Mexican fishermen engaged in illegal fishing north of the Maritime Boundary Line.
After interdicting the lanchas, Coast Guard personnel seized approximately 2,200 pounds of red snapper, along with fishing gear and highflyers on board the vessel. Coast Guard crews detained the men, brought them ashore and transferred the detainees to U.S. Customs and Border Protection personnel for further processing.
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 in state waters (from land to 9 miles offshore), please contact “Operation Game Thief” at 1-800-792-GAME (4263). For all suspicious activity or illegal fishing occurring in federal waters (out to 200 miles offshore), please contact the U.S. Coast Guard at 361-939-0450.
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