CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The Coast Guard interdicted and detained 8 Mexican fishermen engaged in illegal fishing and seized approximately 150 pounds of fish in federal waters off southern Texas, Friday.
Coast Guard Station South Padre Island boat crews in coordination with Coast Guard Sector Corpus Christi Command Center watch standers and Coast Guard Air Station Corpus Christi aircrews, detected and interdicted a total of 8 Mexican fishermen engaged in illegal fishing north of the Maritime Boundary Line (MBL) in the Gulf of America.
After interdicting two lanchas, Coast Guard crews took the fishermen into custody, brought them ashore, and transferred them to U.S. Customs and Border Protection personnel for processing. Coast Guard personnel also seized approximately 150 pounds of red snapper, along with fishing gear and equipment found on board the vessels. Both of the lanchas were seized.
A lancha is a fishing boat used by Mexican fishermen that is approximately 20-30 feet long, with a slender profile, one outboard motor, and capable of traveling at speeds exceeding 30 mph. Lanchas are frequently used to illegally fish in the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) near the U.S.-Mexico border in the Gulf of America. The illegal poaching and trade of red snapper and other fish species is often a revenue stream for criminal organizations. Apart from their use for illegal poaching in U.S. waters, lanchas may also used to move illicit drugs and aliens into the United States.
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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